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Published by Event Safety Alliance
Welcome to the Event Safety Podcast, your source for ideas, discussions, and news from the world of live event safety. Produced by Event Safety Alliance.
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Danielle invites UK crowd safety specialists Eric Stuart and Miriam Stone to discuss the role of steward in the field of crowd management and trace the lines between volunteers, stewards, and licensed security. Eric lays out a five-tier crowd-management hierarchy -- volunteers, stewards, security, police, military -- with stewards sitting just above volunteers: paid, unlicensed, responsible for wayfinding and soft enforcement. Miriam adds that in the UK anything above steward requires a license and training. The conversation also covers volunteer management, noting that fans of the event rarely no-show while general volunteers need clear expectations and something meaningful in return for their time. The group debates whether stewards should face the crowd outright or monitor at a 45-degree angle, and argues for briefing them to spot behavioral outliers -- heat illness, crowd distress, demographic mismatches. Guests: Miriam Stone | Operations Consultant, Arena and Venue Industry Miriam Stone | LinkedIn Eric Stuart | Owner and Director, Gentian Events Eric Stuart QPM | LinkedIn Hosts: Danielle Hernandez
Tami Richter, ESA's current president, moderates the second commemorative webinar panel, titled "Looking Forward: Education, Collaboration, and the Future of Safer Events." After a moment of silence honoring those lost in 2011, the discussion turns to several active ESA initiatives. Guests: Tami Richter, John Badcock, Jessie Sullivan, Bryan Huneycutt, Doug Bruce, Danielle Hernandez Show Notes: Event Safety Alliance | https://www.eventsafetyalliance.org USITT | https://www.usitt.org
To mark the 15th anniversary of the Indiana State Fair stage collapse that killed seven people and injured 58 others, Danielle shares Part One of an ESA presentation commemorating the event, and how it inspired us to change to safety at live events, work that continues to this day. The panel, led by ESA founder and immediate past president Jim Digby, traces ESA's founding: the conference calls that grew from a handful of concerned industry professionals to dozens, the Event Safety Guide, and an early meeting with Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels that persuaded state officials to let the industry self-regulate. Topics also cover the 13 ANSI standards now available free through ESTA's Technical Standards Program, the insurance sector's role in rewriting weather cancellation policies to address wind and lightning rather than rain accumulation, and evidence of safety culture taking hold on show sites worldwide. Guests: Jim Digby, Don Cooper, Scott Carroll, Sue McGuirl, Jacob Worek Show Notes: Event Safety Alliance ESTA Technical Standards Program
Danielle reconvenes the 2nd annual current events roundtable, joined by event safety friends, Jacob Worek, John Badcock, and Doug Bruce to review the incidents, trends, and conversations that shaped the first half of 2026 for live events. Weather was a major theme, also, the FIFA 2026 World Cup, audience behavior and safety messaging, technology and surveillance at events, nightclub fires and more. Lots of lessons learned, as well as considerations of pathways forward for these challenges. Show Notes: ASTM F38 Drone Shows Committee Contact Danielle | podcast@eventsafetyalliance.org Guests: Jacob Worek | SMP John Badcock | Event Operations & Safety Director, SXSW Doug Bruce | Creative Safety Hosts: Danielle Hernandez (host)
What separates safety training from safety culture? Danielle and co-host Anna Glover sit down with Jen Ruggerio, founder of Rugged Training Group and author of Uncorporate Leadership, to dig into that question. Safety training without leadership support is box-checking. The conversation examines common leadership models that do not translate to environments where the stakes are lives rather than quarterly numbers. This episode builds a case for shared leadership as an alternative to top-down hierarchy, positioning safety accountability as something every crew member holds rather than something that flows from a title. Practical threads include heat illness in new workers, how to speak up when you are day labor, why imposter syndrome is evidence of growth, and how the fresh eyes of a first-week worker are an asset most companies fail to use. Guests: Jen Ruggerio | Founder, Rugged Training Group Jen Ruggerio | LinkedIn Hosts: Danielle Hernandez (host) Anna Glover (co-host) Show Notes: Uncorporate Leadership ( Amazon ) Rugged Training Group Contact Danielle: podcast@eventsafetyalliance.org
It is fireworks season! Danielle sits down with Ryan Abel, a fireworks and FX designer and pyrotechnic specialist. This in-depth chat covers pyro from design to operations, including budget, AHJs, permits and safety protocols. Site selection, weather, and show-stop criteria each get real-world treatment, including stopping a show mid-performance when winds spiked unexpectedly. The discussion goes into the reputational stakes when incidents go viral, performer and audience clearances in entertainment pyro settings, the role of spotters, and the early-stage challenges of combining drone shows with fireworks. Guests: Ryan Abel | Fireworks and FX Designer, Pyrotechnic Specialist Hosts: Danielle Hernandez (host) Show Notes: NFPA 1123 (outdoor displays) | https://www.nfpa.org NFPA 1126 (proximate pyrotechnics) | https://www.nfpa.org Contact Danielle | podcast@eventsafetyalliance.org
Pink Bows Foundation grew out of tragedy. After ten people, including Madison Dubiski, lost their lives at Astroworld in 2021, her family channeled an outpouring of community grief into an organization committed to making live events safer for everyone. The foundation's work runs on three pillars: a philanthropy program honoring Madison's commitment to community service, a Showstop procedure course that has trained over 700 event professionals worldwide, and the Safe Space itself. Danielle and co-host Tami Richter sit down with Ashleigh LaBure and Kyrah Lowe from Pink Bows to talk about their Safe Space initiative and how it is finding its way to large events across Texas and beyond. The bright pink tent structure has become a recognizable beacon at festivals — a cool-down spot, a safe refuge, a rally point for separated groups, and a welcoming environment for attendees managing anxiety, overstimulation, or heat. Events interested in hosting Safe Space can connect through the Pink Bows website. Guests: Ashleigh LaBure, Senior VP of Operations Pink Bows Foundation Kyrah Lowe | Volunteer & Community Outreach Coordinator, Pink Bows Foundation Show Notes: Pink Bows Foundation info@pinkbowsfoundation.org Hosts: Danielle Hernandez (host) & Tami Richter (co-host)
Danielle Hernandez is joined by guest co-host Fr. David Garretson along with guests Bill Conner and Dan Culhane for an in-depth discussion of the present, past and future of fire safety curtains and their place in both venues and codes. For over a century, theaters have been required to provide either a fire curtain, a deluge system, or mechanical exhaust at the proscenium to separate the stage from the auditorium in the event of a fire. The forthcoming International Building Code (2027) will eliminate the longstanding requirement for proscenium opening protection in new theater construction. Bill Conner, who worked this significant change through both IBC and parallel NFPA language, has found no evidence anywhere, including the UK and Europe, that fire curtains have ever saved a human life. Note: This change applies to new construction only. Removing an existing fire curtain from an older theater would require buy-in from the local authority having jurisdiction, the insurer, and the fire marshal. NFPA is moving in the same direction, though without IBC's requirement to separate the stage and auditorium from the rest of the building. Hosts: Danielle Hernandez (host) Fr. David Garretson (guest co-host) Guests: Bill Conner , FASTC, ETCP Certified (retired) Rigger - Theatre. Bill, a professional theatre consultant since 1982, provides facility planning and systems design for the performing arts. Among over 150 projects, notable projects include the Alley Theatre, the West Side Showroom, Cincinnati’s SCPA, Edgewood College’s The Stream, Willow Creek Church, Detroit Orchestra Hall, McFarland High School, and the Holden-Brownstone Performing Arts Center. Bill is the ASTC codes officer since 1987 and participates in the development of the national model codes as the senior member of the Assembly Occupancies committee for the NFPA Life Safety Code, serving since 1988, and participant in the ICC Code Development Process for many years. He is a member of the ICC A117.1 and ICC 300 committees. You can reach Bill at 708-983-5792 or bill@bcaworld.com Dan Culhane | Co-Chair, Stage Machinery Working Group and Technical Standards Council, ESTA Show Notes: ESTA Standards (free downloads) ANSI E1.22 Deadliest single building or complex fires and explosions in the U.S. Iroquois Theatre fire Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire Contact Danielle | podcast@eventsafetyalliance.org
Co-host Anna Glover joins Danielle Hernandez to explore a topic that sits at the heart of everything we do in live events: how do you make good decisions when you can't know the outcome? Their guest, Ben Cattaneo, is a risk and resilience professional, host of the Decision-Making Studio podcast, and co-author of "Decision Making in the Polycrisis Era". Ben opens by drawing a clear line between risk (where we can estimate probability) and uncertainty (where we genuinely can't) and argues that leaning into uncertainty as a frame produces better thinking than treating every scenario as a quantifiable risk. Risk matrices can create a false sense of security. Using a FOCUS framework to help guide decision making, the discussion explores the process and tools available to make a decision, including knowing how impactful the result may be to live with, i.e., a hat (fully reversible), a haircut (you'll live with it for a while), or a tattoo (irreversible). What happens when the moment arrives and people get cold feet about the decision they already agreed to make? The answer, Ben says: document the how and the why before the pressure hits, so you can defend a difficult decision without having to reconstruct your reasoning under stress. The episode closes with Anna and Ben connecting all of it back to live events as an environment for building decision-making capability. Every show is a new data point, every load-in a chance to practice. Hosts: Danielle Hernandez (host) Anna Glover (co-host) Guests: Ben Cattaneo | Risk and Resilience Practice, PwC; Host, Decision Making Studio Podcast Show Notes: Decision Making Studio Podcast | https://thedecisionmaking.studio Decision Making in the Polycrisis Era (book) | Available on major book retailers FOCUS Decision-making Primer | https://thedecisionmaking.studio/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/FOCUS.pdf ESA Safer Events Series - Weather | https://eventsafetyalliance.org/safer-events-series Contact Danielle | podcast@eventsafetyalliance.org
Episode 116: Survey Says... Weather with DTN! ---------------------------------------- Weather is the leading disruptor of live events, and the industry's relationship with weather intelligence has matured significantly over the past decade. Danielle Hernandez and co-host Tami Richter sit down with Renny Vandewege, General Manager of Weather Intelligence at DTN, to dig into the results of a major industry survey DTN conducted on how event organizers are making weather-related decisions. Renny walks through DTN's approach, explaining how they've evolved from pure forecasting into what they call an operational decisioning platform. The conversation covers range rings, event-specific trigger thresholds, high-precision lightning and radar data, wet bulb globe temperature for heat safety, and the critical value of having a meteorologist in the loop. A static range ring only triggers after a lightning strike has occurred. A meteorologist can warn you before the first strike happens. The survey findings are illuminating. Most event weather decisions are made within 48 hours of the event, often in the moment, and decision makers frequently struggle to translate forecast data into action alone. The industry has come a long way, but that the work is not finished and DTN's survey helps show the way forward. Hosts: Danielle Hernandez (host) Tami Richter (co-host) Guest: Renny Vandewege | General Manager of Weather Intelligence, DTN https://www.linkedin.com/in/renny-vandewege-8b0aa735/ Show Notes: DTN Outdoor Safety | https://www.dtn.com https://www.dtn.com/weather-risks-in-event-operations/ https://training.fema.gov/nims/ ESA Safer Events Series - Weather | https://eventsafetyalliance.org/safer-events-series Contact Danielle | podcast@eventsafetyalliance.org
Episode 115: The Training Pod ---------------------------------------- Phil van Hest and Sean Fox of Rock Force join Danielle and Bryan to tackle a question that many organizations eventually face: where do you start when you're building a crew training program from scratch? Using a hypothetical production company as a framework, the conversation works through the foundational decisions every training program requires, beginning with logistics and goals and moving quickly into substance. Phil walks through fall protection as a practical example for any crew working at height, explaining the four tiers of the fall pro world, why ANSI standards often offer clearer guidance for entertainment than OSHA in most live event crew training situations, and how PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) should be baked into any program from day one as a living document. The discussion covers training records and certification tracking, lead-to-crew ratios, minimum standards for non-rigging crew, PPE orientation, duty of care, and the hierarchy of controls as a practical framework for teaching people what they are not authorized to do. Co-host Brian Huneycutt steps in and his question about psychological safety brings the conversation into focus. Phil and Sean make the case that safety culture is the real curriculum underneath all the technical content. Leads need to know their crew by name. New people need permission to say they don't know something. Safety officers need to understand both where their authority starts and where it ends. And every person on a job site needs to understand that in an industry as small and visible as live entertainment, unsafe behavior has ripple effects far beyond the one load-in where it happens. For anyone starting from zero, Phil's bottom line is clear: PPE training is part of compliance and gets safety onto people's bodies and into their behavior from the start. Pair that with an explicit safety culture message on day one, and you're already ahead of where most companies begin. Hosts: Danielle Hernandez (host) Brian Huneycutt (co-host) Guests: Phil van Hest | Senior Director of National Safety, Rock Force Sean Fox | Rock Force https://www.rockforce.com/services#safety-heading Show Notes: ANSI Z359.1 & Z359.2 (Fall Protection Standards) | https://webstore.ansi.org ANSI Z490 (Criteria for Accepted Practices in Safety, Health and Environmental Training) | https://webstore.ansi.org https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/index.html PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) | Search online for PDCA infographic https://eventsafetyalliance.org/safer-events-series Weather Preparedness Contact Danielle | podcast@eventsafetyalliance.org
Episode 114: ESA 114 - GCMA's The Service Playbook ---------------------------------------- What does it take to turn a safety plan into a positive experience for your attendees? Danielle Hernandez sits down with Thyr Rodrigues, a spectator services veteran whose career spans the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014, the Rio 2016 Olympics, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, and UEFA's Euro 2020 and 2024, to explore The Service Playbook, a new resource from the Global Crowd Management Association (GCMA). Thyr defines "service" as the intentional, proactive, and engaging use of human and physical resources at the frontline of contact with your audience. It's the bridge between your safety and security plan and the people who need to follow it. The conversation walks through the Playbook's first six chapters, covering headcount planning and service roles (spectator marshals, ushers, pre-information marshals), equipment like umpire chairs and foam hands, operations plans, deployment cards, and the pocket guides that give frontline staff the tools to answer questions on the spot. The discussion also digs into decision points, RAMP analysis, and how service teams function as the eyes and ears of the command room, knowing not just how to help, but who to tell when something goes wrong. Thyr's framework was built on major sporting events, but as Danielle notes, it's easily scalable and transferable to events of any size and type. With chapters on training and event day preparation still to come, The Service Playbook is well worth a look for anyone thinking about how to set their crowd up for success from the very beginning. Guests: Thyr Rodrigues https://www.linkedin.com/in/thyrrodrigues/ Hosts: Danielle Hernandez (host) Show Notes: Global Crowd Management Association (GCMA) | https://thegcma.com/ The Service Playbook | Available at GCMA website, with supporting templates available for GCMA members Contact Danielle | podcast@eventsafetyalliance.org
It's March Madness! In this episode, hosts Danielle Hernandez and John Badcock explore the logistical and operational complexities of hosting the annual NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. They are joined by Joey Doster (Lenovo Center, NC) and Becca Wilusz (Duke University) to discuss the bidding process, rapid scheduling, security perimeters, broadcast constraints and the challenges of managing massive crews. These highly anticipated and widely viewed events are complicated and complex, with details from towels to hostile vehicle mitigation and our guests are well versed in the nuances of the "dance". Hosts : Danielle Hernandez (host) John Badcock (co-host) Guests : Joey Doster | Director of Security and Guest Experience, Lenovo Center Becca Wilusz | Assistant Director of Athletics for Game Operations, Duke University Show Notes : Watch March Madness Live on NCAA | NCAA.com Host Selection & Bidding for Men's and Women's tournaments Logistical Complexity of arena "Session" flips and rapid turnarounds Coordinating travel and hospitality for teams, bands, and broadcast crews Security & Public Safety collaboration with law enforcement Managing the "Zone X" perimeter outside the venue The Human Element, staff resilience, and accommodating live mascots Media & Broadcast coordination and schedule management
In this episode, Danielle and Doug Bruce speak with UK events operations consultant Miriam Stone about Major Incident Planning for event operations. The conversation explores the critical differences between standard operational incidents and major incidents that require a multi-agency response. Key topics include emergency reporting, crowd management, the importance of continuous training and tabletop exercises, and empowering frontline staff to identify and report suspicious behavior. The episode also covers real-world event safety lessons and practical actions, including response strategies learned from the Manchester Arena bombing. Hosts Danielle Hernandez | LinkedIn Doug Bruce, CSSP, CSP, MA | LinkedIn Guest Miriam Stone | LinkedIn Links & Resources JESIP: https://www.jesip.org.uk/ M/ETHANE Reporting Model: https://www.jesip.org.uk/joint-doctrine/m-ethane/ FEMA National Incident Management System (NIMS) Training: https://training.fema.gov/nims/ Left of Bang: https://www.amazon.com/Left-Bang-Marine-Combat-Program/dp/1936891301 The Purple Guide: https://www.thepurpleguide.co.uk/
Episode Summary In this episode of the Event Safety Podcast, hosts Danielle Hernandez and Jim Digby explore the complex and visually stunning world of laser technology in live entertainment. They are joined by Roberta McHatton (Laser Safety Services) and Harry Boyde (ER Productions), who provide expert insights into the physics of lasers, the evolution of safety standards since the 1980s, and the rigorous protocols required for both indoor and outdoor productions. From managing FAA notifications for outdoor shows to the technical precision of "audience scanning," this discussion highlights how safety acts as an essential enabler for creative innovation in modern show design. Resources International Laser Display Association Laser Control Hardware Guests Roberta McHatton | LinkedIn Harry Boyde | LinkedIn Jim Digby, PMP®️ | LinkedIn Danielle Hernandez | LinkedIn Show Notes & Time Stamps [00:00] Introduction: Danielle shares a local connection to the co-inventor of the laser, Charles Townes. [02:10] Meet the Experts: Introductions for Roberta McHatton and award-winning laser designer Harry Boyde. [06:45] Laser Physics 101: A breakdown of the acronym and how photons are concentrated into hazardous beams. [12:30] Evolution of Safety: Comparing 1983 "nightclub" setups to modern 120-watt high-powered systems. [16:00] Termination Points: The importance of knowing where a beam ends to prevent equipment damage. [21:15] Outdoor Regulations: The role of the FAA , the 30-day notification rule , and using tools like FlightRadar24. [28:30] Audience Scanning: The science of using specialized lenses to make lasers safe for direct crowd exposure. [33:45] Emergency Protocols: The "Stop, Stop, Stop" rule and the critical role of the laser operator during a live performance. [37:10] Training and Resources: Where to find professional certification through ILDA or specialized classes. [46:40] Closing Segment: The team wraps up with final advice for the NEXT generation of production professionals.
Danielle and guest co-host Anita Hartsock are joined by Richard Cadena to discuss the dangers of electrical shock on stages. We explore exactly how stray current can travel through gear and people and why proper grounding is absolutely crucial. Also, there is discussion about some real incidents that illustrate the point and prove why a non-contact voltage sniffer should be a part of your tool kit. Join this electrifying conversation and learn about Richard's new book on entertainment electrical safety, his Substack and other electrical resources. Let's work together to keep all our training current and everyone safe. Resources: Richard's website, Richard Cadena TSP ANSI 1.17 Richard Cadena | LinkedIn Anita Hartsock | LinkedIn
Hey friends! We’re getting a little bit "in the weeds" today, and behind the scenes at The Event Safety Alliance. ESA is going through an exciting transition, and we are so delighted to be joined by our new leadership team to talk about what’s next for our Life Safety First mission. www.publichealtheverything.com
🎙️ You Guys! We Talked ETCP Certifications! If you’ve ever wondered how to determine who in this business really knows their discipline, especially in an industry without formal training requirements, this is the episode for you. We had Christina Smith from ESTA and Bill Sapsis of Sapsis Rigging and the ETCP Council join the Event Safety Podcast to break down the Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP). This program is designed to certify the skills of the top third of our industry professionals in 4 different areas of expertise. It’s not just a test. The certification is based heavily on vetting hands-on work history, not just technical knowledge. We cover the four certifications: Arena Rigger, Theatre Rigger, Entertainment Electrician, and Portable Power Distribution Technician. Happy holidays and remember, don't hold the fireworks! https://etcp.esta.org/
This time around, John Badcock joins Danielle for a conversation on inspiration, motivation and the value of the event safety community.
October is definitely spooky season. In celebration of haunts, scares and horror experiences, hosts Danielle & Bryan talk to Kim Scott, General Manager of the recently launched Universal Horror Unleashed . The conversation ranges from jump scares to regulations and how to mentor the up-and-coming planners as they create new attractions in this genre. Also, boo holes. Happy haunting!! Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas. Four Haunted Houses
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Observed September 19, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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