Planning a live event is complicated. Planning for what can go wrong is harder—and more important. A major incident plan is the documented framework that prepares your organization, your staff, and your partner agencies to respond effectively when something goes seriously wrong. This article covers what a major incident plan must contain, the principles that make it work, and the resources available to help you build one.

What Is a Major Incident?

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) defines an incident as “an occurrence or event, natural or human-caused, that requires an emergency response to protect life or property” (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], 2017, p. 3). For live events, a major incident is one that requires special, non-routine arrangements and resources from one or more emergency services. FEMA’s Special Events Contingency Planning Job Aids Manual (2010) defines a special event as “a non-routine activity within a community that brings together a large number of people” and notes that the potential for major incidents requires specific advance planning distinct from routine event operations.

Start Planning Before You Book the Venue

Emergency planning should begin at the same time as all other event planning. FEMA’s Special Events Contingency Planning Job Aids Manual (2010) identifies early coordination with public safety agencies as one of the most important factors in effective event emergency response. The manual recommends that organizers begin engaging local emergency management as soon as an event is contemplated—not after permits are secured.

In the earliest stages, organizers should identify times when the event may strain existing public safety resources, review equipment needs with partner agencies, investigate mutual aid agreements between neighboring jurisdictions, and identify the lead agency and planning team members. A mutual aid program allows neighboring communities to pool resources under pre-established agreements. Understanding what mutual aid agreements cover in your event jurisdiction—and what assets they make available—is part of early planning (FEMA, 2010).

The Essential Elements of a Major Incident Plan

FEMA’s Special Events Contingency Planning Job Aids Manual (2010) and NFPA 1600, Standard on Continuity, Emergency, and Crisis Management (National Fire Protection Association [NFPA], 2022), provide the most comprehensive guidance on what a major incident plan must include. At minimum, every major incident plan for a live event should address:

1. Identification of key decision-making personnel with clear authority assignments
2. Command post or incident command location on the site plan
3. Conditions and procedure for stopping the event
4. Emergency routes and access for emergency services
5. Provisions for people with disabilities and special needs
6. Holding areas for performers, workers, and audience members
7. Scripts or coded messages to alert and stand down security and stewarding staff
8. Alerting procedures for internal staff
9. Public warning mechanisms
10. Evacuation and containment measures and procedures
11. Pre-scripted PA announcements for the audience
12. Rendezvous points for emergency services
13. Ambulance loading points and triage areas, including helipads for air evacuation
14. Location of major-incident-capable hospitals and secured traffic routes to them
15. Emergency reporting forms, documentation, and message pads

NFPA 1600 (2022) requires that emergency plans be reviewed and updated at least annually and after any significant incident or exercise—a standard that applies equally to recurring events.

Principles That Make a Plan Work

A plan binder on a shelf does not save lives. FEMA’s NIMS (2017) establishes that effective incident management requires pre-established roles, clear chains of command, and integrated communications—all elements that must be built into the event emergency plan before the event opens.

An effective major incident plan is flexible—it provides a workable response regardless of the specific incident or available resources at the time. It is multi-agency owned: NIMS Unified Command guidance requires that planning involve all agencies who will be required to respond, so that each understands their role and resources before an incident occurs (FEMA, 2017). It must be jargon-free, with specific functions assigned to named persons or roles rather than departments. And it must account for off-site implications: traffic flow, jurisdictional boundaries, and potential incidents involving event attendees away from the venue (FEMA, 2010).

Finally, the plan must be tested. FEMA’s Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) requires that plans be validated through exercises and that results be captured in an After Action Report (FEMA, 2020). The Texas Task Force on Concert Safety (2022), formed following the Astroworld Festival tragedy, reinforced this—finding that written plans without training, clear authority structures, and pre-event coordination with public safety agencies are insufficient.

Approvals and Integration with Local Plans

Seek plan approval at the highest organizational level possible. In a major incident, decision-making authority often falls to senior individuals, not operational staff. Clear lines of authority must be established in advance. Provide a copy of your major incident plan to the local emergency management coordinator, and consult the local emergency management office to learn about existing plans and ensure yours integrates with them (FEMA, 2010).

Key Resources

FEMA’s online course IS-15.b, Special Events Contingency Planning for Public Safety Agencies, is designed for both event organizers and public safety agencies. The companion Special Events Contingency Planning Job Aids Manual (FEMA, 2010) is a practical workbook available at no cost through the FEMA training website. NFPA 1600 (2022) provides the most current consensus standard for emergency and crisis management planning.

References

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2010). Special events contingency planning job aids manual. U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2017). National Incident Management System (3rd ed.). U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2020). Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

National Fire Protection Association. (2022). NFPA 1600: Standard on continuity, emergency, and crisis management. NFPA.

Texas Task Force on Concert Safety. (2022). Final report of the Texas Task Force on Concert Safety. Office of the Governor of Texas.