PAPER D2

 

 

Committee:                  FIRE AND PUBLIC SAFETY SELECT COMMITTEE

 

Date:                            20 MAY 2002

 

Title:                            PLANNING AND COORDINATION FOR THE QUEEN’S JUBILEE ROCK CONCERT ON 3 JUNE 2002

 

REPORT OF THE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER

 

 

 

SUMMARY/PURPOSE

 

To provide an opportunity for Members to scrutinise the safety arrangement for the Island’s Jubilee Rock Concert, which is being held at Seaclose Park on the 3rd June 2002 and the additional measures being put in place for concert goers prior to and immediately after the event.

 

BACKGROUND

 

On behalf of the Isle of Wight Council, Wight Leisure has undertaken to arrange an Island rock concert at Seaclose Park on 3rd June to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee and has hired a production company, SOLO, to source the acts and provide the production management.

 

It is understood that Solo are highly experienced in the production of outside events of this type, and have in the past produced concerts at various venues around the country for audiences ranging from a few thousand to over a hundred thousand. The Island’s concert therefore, is considered to be a fairly small event in comparison.

 

EVENT INFORMATION

 

The event has been licensed for a total number of 25,000 people attending. To date, ticket sales are steady and it is expected that there will be an audience of between 15, 000 to 20,000. The type of music and the style of the various performers are expected to attract people in the 18 to 45 age range. Video screens are to be positioned within the arena and can be used for displaying safety and administrative information as well as performances.

 

There is no parking allowed on site. Southern Vectis will be running a shuttle service between Ferry terminals and Newport for people attending the concert, returning them again after the event. Southern Vectis has its own command vehicle for communicating between the site and ferry terminals and for coordinating the bus fleet.

 

A campsite, which is to the north of spectator area, is licensed for 750 pitches; approximately 1,500 campers. The site has designated cooking areas, toilets, a bin area and has fire lanes cut into the grass.

 

The campsite will be open from 2pm Friday 31st May, until noon Tuesday 4 June. Only people with tickets purchased in advance with the concert ticket will be allowed to pitch on the site. Adjacent car parking space has been made available on the eastern side of the camping area.

 

Throughout the period the campsite is open, Rocksteady, a private security company employed by Solo, will have guards on patrol. One or two guards on any one shift are trained in first aid, and security will be controlled from a tented facility in the campsite. A paramedic will be in attendance if most of the pitches have been sold.

 

Bottles or drinking containers made of glass are forbidden anywhere within the concert or camping area.

 

SAFETY COVER

 

Guidance on how to stage an outdoor music event and the standards of safety cover required are detailed in the Health and Safety Executive publication, The Event Safety Guide. Safety at the Island’s rock concert is in accordance with the guidelines laid down for the type of venue, numbers attending, style of music and history of similar previous events. The event also complies with the requirements laid down in the Isle of Wight Act.

 

Public order and Law Enforcement

 

A combination of Police and private security is responsible for public order and law enforcement for the duration of the event. Rocksteady Security will patrol the campsite and the concert arena with a presence of a small number of covert police mingling with the audience for the purposes of detecting crime. E.g. drug offences. Traffic and crowd control around the venue will be the responsibility of uniformed Police.

 

Fire

 

The Fire and Rescue Service has been involved in the planning of this event since its inception and have given detailed advice to the event organisers in respect of:

 

-          General fire safety including advice on structures

-          Means of escape

-          Firefighting equipment

-          Means of giving warning in case of fire

-          Crowd management

-          Transport management relating on its interface with firefighting provisions

-          Electrical installations, lighting, etc.

-          Special effects, fireworks and pyrotechnics

-          Camping

 

However, owing to the size of the event and its location in relation to Newport Fire Station, the provision of a fire appliance on site cannot be justified.  Nevertheless, there will be 3 Fire Service Officers present during the event and they will be in direct communication with the on-site incident control centre and Fire Control.

 

Medical

 

Medical cover is to be provided from Island resources with volunteer service backup. During the period of the concert, the following medical staff will be on duty in and around the arena:

 

·         3 ambulances and 10 Ambulance Service staff, half of which will be paramedics.

 

·         3 doctors and 6 nurses.

 

·         Red Cross and St John volunteers with their own ambulances.

 

·         2 First Aid points in the arena with attendant staff.

 

In the event anyone requires hospital treatment, St Mary’s A&E Department will have increased capability with additional staff on duty.

 

Emergency Planning

 

The care and well being of large numbers of people caught up in an emergency is dealt with under existing plans. For this particular event, Medina Sports Centre has been identified as an Emergency Centre if there is a need to evacuate the campsite. The key holder has been confirmed and will be available over the weekend and until the campsite closes.

 

The initial evacuation location for the concert arena is a grass area 150 metres to the rear of the viewing area, but within the boundary fence as shown on the map. (To be provided at the meeting).

 

Emergency Planning will provide a duty officer available via pager callout over the whole period of the event, together with a Council Liaison Officer for on-site coordination if required.

 

Overall Coordination

 

A porta-cabin has been allocated for on-site coordination and is available to the three Emergency Services, though each will have a separate working area within it. Requests for additional resources will be channelled through existing Control Rooms for each of the Emergency Services in the normal way.

 

OPTIONS

 

1.      That Members conclude sufficient arrangements have been put in place to enable concertgoers and campers to enjoy the Island’s Jubilee Rock Concert in a safe and healthy environment.

 

2.      Members suggest additional safety arrangements to be implemented before the Rock Concert proceeds.

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

The Purple Guide

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Up to date site maps of the concert venue and campsite will be made available to Members at the committee meeting.

 

Contact Point: Mike Jolliff, Tel 82(3114)

 

 

RICHARD HARDS

Chief Fire Officer