Shake, Rattle, and Roll

I mentioned in a previous blog that I overlooked creating a contingency plan for a specific situation during an event because given my geographical location, the situation as described simply wouldn’t be an issue. In my blog All About Perspective I talked about not even considering sending a certified trail guide and paramedic with a group of tourists out into the hills of Colorado for an afternoon hike because here in Illinois where I live the terrain is as flat as a pancake. My poor event-goers might have been left to spend the night among the stars if it weren’t for the expertise of others.

When I visited California recently and got into the elevator, I noticed a button on the panel that I don’t recall ever seeing before. It stuck out to me so much that I took a picture of it and sent it to my sister. An earthquake button. What in the world happens when you push that button? It got me thinking about what would happen if there was an earthquake during an event. Do we have an “earthquake button” for our events?

In fact, we do. I went to my Emergency Action Plan and low and behold it contained contingencies for an earthquake. Nothing about an elevator button but what to do if one hit while we were meeting in a convention center. “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” is what the government officials recommend. It’s also on many of the California city and county websites. Drop to the floor (if you’re able), head for cover under a sturdy piece of furniture (all of the pictures show a table – depending on the room setup there are plenty of those at a convention center), and hold on tight. Avoid being under hanging objects like chandeliers, mirrors, large, ugly paintings, and sculptures. If there are no sturdy objects, lean against an interior wall and cover your head and neck with your arms. Make sure that the wall you choose is not a moveable airwall that separates one large room into several smaller ones. And you certainly shouldn’t use the elevator or run out of any buildings while they’re shaking.

So what does happen if your event attendees are in the elevator when an earthquake hits? After pushing said button, the elevator goes to the nearest floor, stops, opens the doors and parks it there so the people inside the elevator can get out and find a safer place to be. Now the elevator is out of commission and even if someone does get in the elevator thinking they’re going to use it, they’re just going to sit there.

All event planners should already have a copy of the daily attendee list in their binder and if you are using a hotel rooming list, the daily occupied rooming list from the hotel. On the off chance that an earthquake shook your event, depending on its severity, you are going to want to check to make sure everyone is accounted for. This is most often part of the role of the first responders so be sure to have a copy of the lists handy.

As should be your standard operating procedure for any event, your staff and volunteers should have reviewed the emergency action plan ahead of the event, know where to find it when on-site, and understand their basic response for any emergency.

So if you are planning an event where there is a chance of an earthquake, during your site visit be sure to notice whether or not the elevators have an earthquake button. If so, your emergency action plan should have instructions on what to do with it should an earthquake occur. If not, you should still be prepared to handle this situation as you would the myriad of others that can’t be predicted but need to be planned for as always.

Have you encountered an obscure emergency situation? We would love to learn from your insight! Please send me an email or leave your story here!

And like this blog as you share it with others who plan events or who you think could benefit
from the information within!

Visit tracybaer.com for more!