Safety plan and preparedness for large events
How the hand tools are used safely and effectively
If you are to organize a festival a large outdoor concert or another event where many people gather in one place it is not enough to have control of the stage and program. The police must give permission for the event itself and for the largest events it requires an actual security plan that must be approved by several authorities before you can open the gates.
§When should the police be involved
Essentially it requires police permission to hold a festival an outdoor concert or another outdoor event where many people gather. This applies whether it takes place in a public square a park or on private land if the public has access. The police assess among other things the location itself access roads parking and sanitary conditions before approving the location.
§The safety plan — the organizer's own responsibility in writing
For larger events — large concerts festivals and large sports events — the police can require you to prepare a risk assessment and a security plan. The security plan is your own documentation of what security measures the event has and is used by police and other emergency services to assess whether the event can be conducted safely. The Danish National Police has published guidance on how to build a security plan for larger outdoor music events and it is a good place to start when you write your first.
- 01How many guests and which age group the event is aimed at
- 02Access and emergency routes and barriers
- 03Staffing with shifts, first aid and information staff
- 04Procedures for fire, evacuation, illness and bad weather
- 05Contact information for responsible and relevant authorities
§Who should approve the plan
A safety plan is normally approved by several parties together: the police the local fire authority and the region's prehospital emergency services (i.e. rescue and ambulance services). In addition you as the organizer must inform the municipality. The larger and more complex the event the more of these parties you can expect to have dialogue with long before the first guest arrives.
| Event type | Application deadline | Who is typically involved |
|---|---|---|
| Small outdoor event without safety plan | Approx. 30 days before | The police |
| Large event with security plan requirement | Approx. 3 months before or by agreement | Police, fire service, pre-hospital emergency service, municipality |
§How to change jobs safely — and what rights you have
As an event coordinator it is rarely you alone who writes the entire safety plan — but it is often you who gathers information from security companies technicians and local authorities keeps track of deadlines and ensures the plan is updated if something changes in the program. The earlier you get the authorities' requirements into your schedule the less risk of standing with a safety plan that needs to be redone a week before doors open.
“A safety plan is the organizer's own documentation of safety measures to the police and other emergency authorities.”
— The National Police's guidance on the preparation of a security plan for major outdoor music events