gareth Posted August 13, 2018 Share Posted August 13, 2018 ... Wow - nearly 12.5 years! That must be some sort of thread resurrection record, nuttytechy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskers Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 If you are a touring house then industry standard Mr Sands etc will be understood by visiting staff so would be appropriate, Caution that maybe a few audience also understand so should only be used in extreme situations, ie just before an evacuation. Other phase one announcements should be as near genuine as possible, "will a cleaner go to . . . . ." "duty (or bar/ stage / wardrobe) manager to the red / yellow / blue telephone" depending on the type and location of the incident. These are OK to be local as they will mostly concern resident staff.. If I were in an audience ever heard anything like "mice in windmills" or "Mrs Gutteridges's Triangle Orchestra" I would know that a) something was up and b) that to some extent safety was not taken seriously, I would be out of it, as quickly. quietly and casually as I could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttytechy Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 ... Wow - nearly 12.5 years! That must be some sort of thread resurrection record, nuttytechy! Damn I should of waited longer ** laughs out loud ** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitlane Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 I would imagine that the punters that recognise 'Mr Sands' are likely to be 'in the business' and less liable to panic. nuttytechy, have you had any training or workshops on terrorism planning from the local authority or police? If not, it might be worth seeing if they offer anything. Moreover, if you are really close to the docks and the shopping centre it would probably be worth checking in with their management to see if there is a coordinated plan for the local area. As we have seen previously, a suspected (or actual) terrorism threat is likely to result in a lock-down or evacuation of a wide area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistermorton Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 I would imagine that the punters that recognise 'Mr Sands' are likely to be 'in the business' and less liable to panic. That would include anyone who travels regularly on the Tube, as "Inspector Sands" is also used there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owain Posted August 14, 2018 Share Posted August 14, 2018 "could mrs montague please visit the millhouse suite" <indignant punter> I am Mrs Montague and I have spent twenty minutes trying to find the Millhouse Suite and I've missed Jacinta-Kerrylee's tap solo and what are YOU going to do about it? </indignant punter> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam2 Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 Whilst the use of code words can be vital in conveying crucial information to staff without causing panic, I wonder if some places over do it ? In case of fire or a bomb alert use of a code word is clearly sensible, is it really needed for someone taken ill ? What is wrong with saying "person taken ill at XYZ, first aiders to the scene please" Likewise if someone is causing trouble what is wrong with announcing "staff announcement, security to XYZ please" Neither event should cause a panic, and a plain language announcement might also produce extra assistance from say a doctor or off duty police officer among the crowd. (and yes I know that this a very old thread, but still relevant today) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 Just a tangential comment.... Research undertaken by Chris Cocking (and also presented at ISCEx this year) indicates that 'panic' is not a good term to apply to crowd behaviour in emergency situations, but is invariably used to describe expected behaviour - especially by the media.It's well worth reading his research papers or his blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 Whilst the use of code words can be vital in conveying crucial information to staff without causing panic, I wonder if some places over do it ? In case of fire or a bomb alert use of a code word is clearly sensible, is it really needed for someone taken ill ? What is wrong with saying "person taken ill at XYZ, first aiders to the scene please" Likewise if someone is causing trouble what is wrong with announcing "staff announcement, security to XYZ please" Neither event should cause a panic, and a plain language announcement might also produce extra assistance from say a doctor or off duty police officer among the crowd. (and yes I know that this a very old thread, but still relevant today) I think I largely agree. London Underground will explicitly refer to a person under a train now, and one could argue that because many people know the code, an Inspector Sands announcement is just as explicit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junior8 Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 Just a tangential comment.... Research undertaken by Chris Cocking (and also presented at ISCEx this year) indicates that 'panic' is not a good term to apply to crowd behaviour in emergency situations, but is invariably used to describe expected behaviour - especially by the media.It's well worth reading his research papers or his blog. Interesting - thanks for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 "Panic" in a crowd is probably best described as "when a crowd does something an emergency planner didn't think of in the plan". I was working in a Leicester Square venue when the police told us to keep the current fire evacuation plan but add a plan for bomb threat evacuation. This was simply because there was recent wisdom to learn from, which they passed on. Well used code words give a venue management a chance to get the staff organised to assist punters in a safe direction. Bear in mind that 99% of people look to evacuate via the route they used to enter the building, which may be the site of an incident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 "Panic" in a crowd is probably best described as "when a crowd does something an emergency planner didn't think.... I'm not fully convinced of that.... Referring back to Chris Cocking's research, "A common myth about emergencies is that if people become aware of a possible threat, then they will be come too fearful to act rationally and will therefore 'panic'. However, there is almost no evidence to support this idea, and withholding information in emergencies could even result in people delaying action to keep themselves safe, and so could ironically increase the danger". Panic is equated with irrational, unpredicted behaviour. The behaviour shown in most recent incidents has actually followed the government advice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 Just a throwaway thought, Simon. In my experience people do not panic at announcements of possible danger but once confronted with real physical immediate danger they do go nuts. The nightclub fires that see people stampede down stairs and block up exits with piles of bodies and the well-documented and researched Love Parade incident in Germany appear to back this up. I think that generalisation can be hazardous where human behaviour is concerned. Keith Still uses the term "crowd crazing" and some of his models explain how what starts as a minor trip can become serious crowd collapse within seconds if the conditions are right. It may be worth noting that crowds are made up of individuals and one will calmly walk not run to an exit and the next will run round screaming like a headless chicken. Panic is the result rather than the cause is what I think I am trying to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.