Event Safety Insights Issue Three | Spring 2017 | Page 42

sions they did understand. I ask for these things because they are important in and of them- selves, and because they give me insight into the level of situational awareness of the people I’m dealing with that I cannot get by asking them directly. We work in an industry fraught with dangers, in which the consequences of not knowing what’s going on around us can include severe injury or death of workers, guests, and even bystand- ers. Because of the risks we live with every day, I think reasonable people should trust, but verify. Here is my view in a nutshell. People miss the easy stuff all the time. Therefore, a promoter, venue manager, or security provider who hosts thousands of people out for a good time must provide staff with sufficient experience and training to do their jobs. And a rea- sonable person in a position of responsibility will take affirmative steps to ensure that those staff do know what’s going on around them. To quote my current favorite reasonable person, Hunter S. Thomp- son, “Call on G-d, but row away from the rocks.” Steven A. Adelman is the head of Adelman Law Group, PLLC and Vice President of the Event Safety Alliance. He can be reached at [email protected]. Ad Index Access Event Solutions 43 Allianz 34 Big Hammer 13 eps america 6 HUB International 30 Mountain Productions 2 PRG 23 Take 1 Insurance 17 WDT WeatherOps 25