CBRN and Hazmat Incidents at Major Public Events: Planning and Response

PART I

Introduction

WHAT IS A MAJOR PUBLIC OR HIGH-VISIBILITY EVENT?

There is no universally accepted definition of what constitutes a “major event” for security and public-safety purposes. Here at an early stage in this book, I want to defuse any potential arguments about terms and definitions. I am going to use the generic term “major event” to denote a wide category of events. While the term “major public event” may resonate with many readers, it can still be confusing. The term “public” could mean either widely publicized or open to members of the public, so we will just call it a “major event” to avoid confusion.

We can have many discussions about whether or not an event is major, high visibility, significant, or a “national special security event” (an American term.). Other terms are in use elsewhere in the world, such as “high visibility event.” I will try to apply a broad definition in this book. By “major event” I mean any large gathering of people that is sufficiently high profile to warrant special planning for security and public safety. The threshold for declaring something to be a major event is tricky and will vary greatly. Political-party conventions, large sporting events, royal weddings, state funerals, large concerts, state visits by important foreign dignitaries, inaugurations of Presidents, and large festivals all certainly count as major events. I do not think that a lengthy discussion of what is or is not a “major event” will be helpful, as local definitions ...