Terrorist attacks at major events: a landmark disaster and emergency management conference is to be held during the World Firefighters Games on September 1-2. This unique event--the first conference of its kind to be held during a major sporting activity--will be held in the Don Valley Stadium, South Yorkshire, allowing delegates to watch events between conference presentations, which appropriately will concentrate on catastrophic incidents at major public gatherings.
The threat of international terrorism is no greater than at major sporting events and public gatherings. The World Firefighters Games brings together fire chiefs from around the globe and provides a great opportunity to share experience and expertise on dealing with the threat of major disaster. The world's foremost authorities will share their experience on planning for major events such as the Sydney Olympics and lessons learned from terrorist attacks such as at the Atlanta Games. The conference will focus on multi-agency emergency planning in countering terrorist actions and will address the worst-case scenarios through case studies on major terrorist attacks as well as major incident planning exercises.
Day one will focus on the contingency planning for major events and public gatherings, while day two will focus on the ever-widening threat of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks. Analysis on the effects of an aviation crash into a densely populated stadium and response options to the catastrophe will conclude the event.
The conference will consist of 'tag' presentations, giving differing perspectives on each subject, followed by a question and answer session.
CORE THEMES
Integrated risk management planning
Leadership and decision making
Multi-agency role
Impact of media and communications
Crowd control
Legislative impact and political perspective
Case studies on terrorist attacks and successfully run large-scale sporting events
Strategic command
Urban search and rescue
Mass decontamination
CBRN
Aviation
CONTENT
Day One--Integrated Contingency Planning at Major Public Gatherings Session One: Learning from Disaster: Key Elements in Major Incident Planning The last major international sporting event to suffer a terrorist attack was the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. The speakers will identify the primary areas of risk, the importance of integrated emergency management and highlight procedures that have since been implemented to prevent and prepare for a reoccurrence of a similar terrorist attack.
The speaker will address the historical aspects of terrorism and the fundamental driving issues, examining groups such as HT, IMU and Al Queda.
Operational preparedness at the Sydney Olympics is analysed to provide a strategic overview of the critical issues surrounding emergency planning for large scale events, including the complex structural arrangements involving national and international agencies.
Session Two: Multi-Agency Co-ordination in Emergency Planning: The New Dimension A look at the international perspective of emergency planning, focusing on infrastructure, technology and communications, strategic alliances, plus rescue response options and training. The session will focus on emergency medical service response and trauma-related incidents such as suicide bombers.
Day Two--Facing the Terrorist Threat Session One: Impact of a Large Scale Attack at a Major Public Gathering
Training film provider FETN and incident command software training specialists VectorCommand outline lessons learned by emergency services in a vapory of major incidents and offers advice on ways emergency and health care service providers can plan for future outbreaks and emergencies. It will cover consistency of incident command strategies and procedures, communication strategies, crowd control and mass decontamination and personal protection.
Session Two: Catastrophic Command: Strategy and Tactics for Tackling Disaster
A unique aspect to the conference: a case study on the effects and operational command options in the event of an aviation crash into a densely populated stadium. In what would be the ultimate disaster scenario, the speakers from the International Emergency Technical Response Institute will link flew research and IT into planning, training and applying it to this disaster through the use of critical asset analysis--an unmissable learning event.
The closing session on unifying emergency command--US management of catastrophic incidents will draw together the strategies, tactics, policies and procedures to analyse the ultimate model for major incident response.
Tackling Disaster
A unique aspect to the conference: a case study on the effects and operational command options in the event of a multiple terrorist attack on a densely populated stadium. Featuring the panel of speakers, delegates will have the opportunity to interact as a case study is run on location. In what would be the ultimate disaster scenario, the speakers from will link new research and IT into planning, training and applying it to this disaster through the use of critical asset analysis--an unmissable learning event.
SELECTED SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Chase Sargent
Chase currently serves as a Battalion Chief in command of the Virginia Beach Fire Department's Special Operations Division. His responsibilities include:
Command and administration of the VBFD Technical Rescue Team, VBFD Hazardous Materials learn, VBFD Marine Response Team, and FEMA US&RVATask Force 2.
He co-ordinates the Tidewater Regional Technical Rescue Team and the Virginia Beach Fire Department Public Information Office.
Chief Sargent is active in instruction within the Commonwealth of Virginia as a member of the Department of Fire Programs Heavy and Tactical Rescue Team, and nationally as a consultant and instructor to Fire, EMS, Military, Police and Industrial Special Operations Teams.
Larry Collins
Larry Collins is a 21-year member of the fire service, serving for the past decade as Captain of a Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue unit in Los Angeles County, California. He is responsible for planning, training, supervising, and performing urban search and technical rescue, rapid intervention, helo-high rise, marine disaster, swiftwater and flood rescue, and other UBAR-related emergency operations across LA County.
On the national scene, he is assigned as a Search Team Manager for a national Urban Search and Rescue Task Force and as a USAR Specialist for one of three national Urban Search and Rescue Incident Support Teams.
For more information contact Michelle Plumb, Queensway House, 2 Queensway, Redhill, Surrey RH1 1QS; tel: +44 (0) 1737 855 424; fax: +44 (0) 1737 855 418; email: michelleplumb@uk.dmgworldmedia.com
