Event Safety Insights Issue One | Fall 2016 | Page 16

The Hazards We Face Putting the Pieces Together During the second half of day one, meteorologist from the National Weather Service and private sector forecasting firms walked the class through a suite of weather phenomena, selected for their relevance to those planning live events. These “Big 4” conditions included lighting (present-ed by Weather Decision Technologies’ Chris Kerr and J.R. Henley), wind (Dr. Patrick Marsh), rain/flooding (John Zietler), and heat/cold (Steve Piltz). These sessions explored the magnitude and predictability of each threat, as well as the forecast and warning lead times -- crucial information when developing weather decision triggers. Day two of the Severe Weather Summit focused on decision making and the practical application of concepts learned during the previous day’s sessions. Lambda Productions President Hadden Hippsley joined Event Safety Alliance Chairman Jim Digby for a primer on building severe weather action plans, sharing numerous insights he’s gleaned from his experience as Production Manager for Bonnaroo, Firefly, Electric Forest, and countless other music and arts festivals around the country. Closing out day one was National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Andy Bailey, who provided an overview of how the proceeding information can be used to develop tools such as weather monitoring, communications plans, and decision making triggers. Bailey’s closing session served as a bridge between the fundamental learning and the practical application that would be discussed in day two. 16 Hippsley spoke of the need to involve as many internal stakeholders as possible in the planning process, both as a means to build rapport and to identify weaknesses in your plans. He discussed the importance of employee training and rehearsal to ensure all stakeholders understand their role in any response and are confident in their ability to execute it. Hippsley also stressed that your plans should be as simple and flexible as possible. “Emergencies don’t follow a script,” he said. “Your plan should not force you to, either.”