Evacuation Planning Guide for Stadiums

Section 1: Introduction
The Evacuation Planning Guide for Stadiums was developed by a working group
comprised of the following organizations:
• Commercial Facilities Sector Coordinating Council,
• Contemporary Services Corporation,
• Department of Commerce,
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
• Environmental Protection Agency,
• Federal Bureau of Investigation,
• DHS/Federal Emergency Management Agency,
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement,
• International Association of Assembly Managers,
• Texas A&M, Texas Engineering Extension Service,
• Stadium Managers Association, and
• University of Southern Mississippi, Center for Spectator Sports Security
Management.
All evacuation guides contain common fundamental elements. However, each stadium
owner/operator should customize an evacuation plan to account for the unique policies
and procedures of State and local governments, surrounding communities, and specific
stadium characteristics. This guide is intended to be an ongoing dialogue in an effort to
“raise the safety and security bar” and to provide a useful template for the stadium
owner/operator to develop and customize a stadium specific evacuation plan.
Evacuation Program Overview
One element of evacuation planning is determining whether it is necessary to control the
movement and activities, (i.e., evacuation, sheltering in place, or relocation) of the
stadium spectators, participants (i.e., competitors, staff and vendors) and the general
public in response to a hazardous situation. Whether directing traffic around the
stadium’s perimeter, sheltering spectators inside the stadium, relocating spectators for a
period of time, totally evacuating the stadium, or any combination of these activities, the
principles guiding the execution of an evacuation are always consistent. These principles
include assessing risk factors, planning an appropriate response, informing the public,
and implementing the Evacuation Plan. Assessing risk, reducing vulnerabilities, and
increasing the level of preparedness can help minimize potential threats and
consequences to stadiums nationwide.
All major sporting venues face great challenges in developing an effective Evacuation
Plan. Among the factors that must be addressed in an Evacuation Plan are immense
crowds, traffic into and out of the stadium, location of the stadium, and egress points
from the stadium and surrounding properties. Planning for an evacuation at major
sporting events takes a tremendous amount of coordination, communication and
cooperation by the stadium owners/operators and, as well as all levels of the response
community (federal, state, local, and private). Evacuation planning should take into
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