Planning Plays Major Role in Handling Emergencies at AT&T Stadium
Hours before music fans set foot into AT&T Stadium—home of the Dallas Cowboys—dozens of fire and EMS personnel readied their equipment, inspected the facility and began patrolling the grounds. The June 4 concert with Miranda Lambert and Kenny Chesney was expected to have over 40,000 in attendance on the warm, muggy day.
Planning and resources
“I can't explain how big the planning component really is,” Battalion Chief of Special Events Gerald Randall said. “It may only be three or four hours of a concert, but it’s all of the details leading up to the day that need to be figured out.”
Randall’s Special Events Office is housed at the brand new Station 5, just a few miles east of Arlington’s entertainment district, which includes AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Park (home of the Texas Rangers), Six Flags Over Texas, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, the Arlington Convention Center and a host of restaurants and hotels.
He has two emergency management planners and a fire officer assigned to the office full-time. Off-duty personnel are then hired to fill the positions needed for the event.
In 2015, the department planned and covered 40 major events at AT&T Stadium, 81 Rangers baseball games at Globe Life Park and dozens of events in the community, including the convention center and the city’s massive annual Fourth of July celebrations.
Randall’s office has spent six months planning for this concert, but each event has a different timeline.
At first it was monthly planning meetings and as the event got closer, it was weekly meetings with various city resources, the promoters and stadium staff. They reviewed occupancy numbers, safety and set up of the stage, any plans for pyrotechnics and any other possible hazards. All of the details are turned into an Event Action Plan, which details any potential safety issues and extra resources, has timelines and outlines assignments for personnel.
“We are not just here for fire or EMS calls, but all hazards,” Randall said. “We can monitor the atmosphere, check explosive threats and do so much more.”
After each event wraps up, Randall files a report that includes attendance, weather, fire and EMS responses and more.
“This helps us determine what resources we will need for future events and can help us justify extra resources, such as an EMS team, based on the audience.
Randall said events that cater to an older audience tend to have an increase in medical emergencies requiring more crews than normal.
Kenny Chesney concert
When the first fire department resources arrived around 10:30 a.m., a crew from the city’s EMS provider, American Medical Response (AMR) had already been on site for several hours. Several fire marshals and inspectors and the explosive ordinance team were already inspecting the facility. They deployed canines as part of their effort to sniff out explosives or chemicals. The fire department had 38 members on site, with another 29 from AMR.
“Our overall goal is to have zero impact to the on-duty resources,” Randall said of the staffing.
An engine, brush truck and four ambulances were stationed at the stadium.
Four teams of three firefighters were deployed on “rescue” units, ready to handle fire or medical emergencies. The expanded golf carts carry SCBA, PPE, a stretcher and backboard, a full complement of ALS equipment, extinguishers, tools and a high-rise bundle.
Before the concert, some of the rescue units were deployed to the parking lots to patrol tailgating events and keep an eye on hazards, such as generators or grills. Randall expected a majority of the requests for help to be medical, and they included intoxication and heat-related illnesses.
AMR crews staffed several first aid stations where hospital beds, ALS equipment and supplies were stored for people who were overcome with heat exhaustion. The main station was also staffed by a doctor.
Several “foot teams” made up of AMR staff and firefighters were assigned to the concert floor and stage area. The two-person teams carried ALS equipment and AEDs for rapid access and treatment of injuries. They wear headsets and ear pieces to be able to monitor radio traffic as the music plays.
“The goal is to get the patient assessed and get help as needed,” said Randall. “We want the fan to enjoy the show and we want to cause minimal disruption to the event.”
Before any fire or EMS crews were deployed, the first briefing of the day was held and responders received a one-page sheet with a timeline for the day, event-specific dispatch and response protocols and data on the event. Following the briefing, the team moved to their assigned posts.
Equipment for mass decontamination was put in place, atmospheric monitoring was well underway and the fire marshals continued to inspect passages for egress concerns.
In the command post
Randall spent most of the day in the command post with firefighter Danny Martin, who was the technician and scribe.
The command post is located above the stadium with a birds-eye view. It was staffed with stadium security, police officers and stadium operations staff. Phones were ringing and radio traffic was constant as issues were being reported and handled.
“It’s at this level where the unified command takes place and I cannot stress how important that is,” Randall said. “We’ve built relationships with everyone here and we have a great team in place.”
As reports of injured people were received, it was a mix of new and old technology that the command post relied on to assess the situations.
Using high-tech binoculars and the building’s security camera system, Randall and Martin were able to check the reported locations of emergencies and determine the severity. If the issue looked serious, additional teams were dispatched.
Emergencies handled during the event
The doors to AT&T stadium opened at 4 p.m. and by 4:45, fire and EMS crews were dispatched to six medical emergencies—mostly people who consumed too much alcohol or heat exposure. Two required transport by AMR to the hospital.
Things slowed down as the concert started, but during a break between acts around 6:30, a flurry of emergencies were reported. All of the on-site crews were deployed and Randall requested a two-person squad company and an ambulance to standby.
By 9 p.m., when Chesney took the stage, fire and EMS crews had contact with dozens of concert-goers and a person who had a serious head injury after a fall. Eight people had been transported.
Around 10 p.m., a call came in for a fire behind the stage.
Arriving within seconds, a small but constant stream of smoke was visible from the rear of the stage. Upon investigation, it was a propane barbeque that was being used at the rear of the stage, but close to flammable materials. Firefighters shut the cooking operation down.
As crews began to demobilize around 12:30 a.m., they had contact with close to 70 people needing assistance—not including helping people find their way around the massive stadium. A total of 16 people were transported to the hospital.
Just a couple of hundred yards away, 34,000 people filled Globe Life Park as the Texas Rangers played the Seattle Mariners. The fire department also had resources on scene at that game and no fans were transported.
On-site resources pay off
While it was a busy event for Arlington Fire and EMS crews, there have been busier events. Last fall, fans got into a scuffle following a Cowboys football game and one man was fatally shot in a parking lot.
Several vehicles fires in the parking lots have been caused by hot coals left after grilling; turkey fryer fires have also kept firefighters busy.
Crews have responded to several cardiac arrests, and one—which Randall was able to view from the stadium’s security camera while crews rendered aid—was a successful save.
“That’s a testament to having the resources on-site and being mobile,” he said.
