Emergency Response Plan | Badger Music & Arts Festival

Badger Music & Arts Festival 2026

Emergency Work Aids

Quick reference for every post — print for binders.

← Full Emergency Response Plan

Fire Response

Aid 1 / 7

When: Any smoke, flame, or ignition — grass, structure, vehicle, or cooking fire.

Do — in order

  1. CALL IT: radio "EMERGENCY" ×3, give your ZONE and what is burning.
  2. Call 911 for anything beyond a trash-can-size fire.
  3. Move people back and upwind. Create distance; keep a path open.
  4. Zone Commander: EVACUATE the zone — move people out, account for them, report to Command. Do NOT fight fire.
  5. Fire is fought only by staff with extinguisher OR firefighting training AND specific Badger authorization, and only on a small / incipient fire.PASS — Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep.
  6. Clear an access lane for fire apparatus; send someone to flag them in at the gate.

Call / Escalate

  • 911 — fire / life threat
  • Fire Safety Officer — Alex Hendren (970) 821-5195 · Ch 11 (Command)
  • Incident Commander — Chad Simpson (708) 363-3037 · Ch 11

Do Not

  • Do NOT fight fire without both training (extinguisher or firefighting) and specific Badger authorization — no exceptions.
  • Do NOT fight a spreading grass/brush fire — evacuate and let the fire district handle it.
  • Zone Commanders do NOT fight fire — evacuate only.
  • Do NOT block the access road with vehicles or crowds.

Zone Commanders — write in

EVACUATE ONLY. Fill each Commander in by hand (Sharpie) once assigned.

  • Z1 · Gate / Ingress

    Main gate, CR 111 approach, day lot, box office

    Commander

  • Z2 · Stages / Sound Shrine

    Main stage, Sound Shrine, FOH, backline

    Commander

  • Z3 · Artist Camping & Harmonic Haven

    Artist camping, backstage/artist compound, Harmonic Haven / wellness

    ↳ Evacuate from the side nearest the fire — move UPWIND, toward the nearest property boundary (away from the flames).

    Commander

  • Z4 · Bliss Temple

    Bliss Temple and its immediate surrounds

    Commander

  • Z5 · Creative Space

    Creative space, art installations, live painting, hands-on / workshop areas

    ↳ Evacuate from the side nearest the fire — move UPWIND, toward the nearest property boundary (away from the flames).

    Commander

  • Z6 · GA Camping — North

    General-admission tent & walk-in camping, north half

    ↳ Evacuate from the side nearest the fire — move UPWIND, toward the nearest property boundary (away from the flames).

    Commander

  • Z7 · GA Camping — South

    General-admission tent & walk-in camping, south half

    ↳ Evacuate from the side nearest the fire — move UPWIND, toward the nearest property boundary (away from the flames).

    Commander

  • Z8 · RV / Car Camping

    RV field, car camping, generator-in-RV areas

    ↳ Evacuate from the side nearest the fire — move UPWIND, toward the nearest property boundary (away from the flames).

    Commander

  • Z9 · Vendors / Market

    Vendor row, food vendors, roaming vendors, cook areas

    Commander

  • Z10 · Medical / HQ

    Medical, Safety HQ, Production HQ

    Commander

Rain / Road Evacuation

Aid 2 / 7

When: IC/Weather Monitor orders road-preservation egress due to wet dirt roads.

Do — in order

  1. Freeze non-essential vehicle movement. Keep emergency lanes open.
  2. 1st — Commercial / production / vendor trucks, single file, 5 mph.
  3. 2nd — Passenger cars, in waves, closest-to-exit first.
  4. 3rd — RVs last, or hold in place until roads are cleared safe.
  5. Traffic posts: no passing on soft shoulders; keep spacing; wave-by-wave.
  6. Report road conditions and bottlenecks to Command (Ch 7 → Ch 11).

Call / Escalate

  • Gate / Traffic Lead — Zac Roberts (810) 599-6243 · Ch 7
  • Weather Monitor — Robert Grosso (201) 566-4562 · Ch 11
  • Incident Commander — Chad Simpson (708) 363-3037 · Ch 11

Do Not

  • Do NOT let RVs out ahead of trucks and cars.
  • Do NOT allow passing/overtaking on wet shoulders.
  • Do NOT block the emergency lane at any point.

Medical Emergency

Aid 3 / 7

When: Any injury, illness, overdose, heat/altitude issue, or unresponsive person.

Do — in order

  1. Call 911 for life threats (not breathing, severe bleeding, unresponsive, chest pain).
  2. Radio Medical (Ch 9): give ZONE, patient condition, and access notes.
  3. Send a runner to guide medical to the exact spot.
  4. Keep bystanders back; do only what you are trained to do.
  5. Clear a path / lane for the medical cart or ambulance.

Call / Escalate

  • 911 — life threat
  • Medical Lead — Amy Landrum, AGNP-C (850) 602-0315 · Ch 9
  • Medical Alt — John Reeve (806) 577-0343 · Ch 9
  • Incident Commander — Chad Simpson (708) 363-3037 · Ch 11

Do Not

  • Do NOT move a seriously injured person unless there is immediate danger.
  • Do NOT give medications or treatment beyond your training.
  • Do NOT crowd the patient.

Safety / Security

Aid 4 / 7

When: Fights, violence, theft, threats, ejections, or unauthorized entry.

Do — in order

  1. Do not engage physically. Keep yourself safe and observe.
  2. Radio Security (Ch 5): ZONE, number of people, weapons?, what is happening.
  3. Call 911 for weapons, serious violence, or an active threat.
  4. Move bystanders away; note descriptions (clothing, direction of travel).
  5. Let Safety/Security handle contact, ejection, and hand-off to deputies.

Call / Escalate

  • 911 — weapons / serious violence / active threat
  • Safety / Security Lead — Chad Simpson (708) 363-3037 · Ch 5
  • Park County Sheriff (non-emergency) — (719) 836-4121 opt 5
  • Incident Commander — Ch 11

Do Not

  • Do NOT break up fights yourself.
  • Do NOT chase or corner anyone.
  • Do NOT confiscate weapons — report and keep distance.

Severe Weather / Cancellation

Aid 5 / 7

When: Lightning, high wind, hail, or a suspension/cancellation call.

Do — in order

  1. On the weather signal, pause stage activity and get people off structures/rigging.
  2. Lightning: move to hard cover / vehicles, out of open fields and off high ground.
  3. High wind: secure or lower canopies and shade; clear areas downwind of big structures.
  4. Listen for the announcement (PA, radio all-channels, runners, Discord).
  5. If evacuation is ordered, direct people to the nearest assembly point.

Call / Escalate

  • Weather Monitor — Robert Grosso (201) 566-4562 · Ch 11
  • Incident Commander — Chad Simpson (708) 363-3037 · Ch 11

Do Not

  • Do NOT resume until IC/Weather Monitor gives all-clear (30 min after last nearby strike).
  • Do NOT shelter under trees, stages, or metal structures in lightning.
  • Do NOT spread unofficial cancellation rumors — relay only confirmed announcements.

Gate / Emergency Access

Aid 6 / 7

When: Emergency vehicles need in/out, or the access road is compromised.

Do — in order

  1. Keep the emergency lane open at all times — never a parking or queue lane.
  2. On a 911 response, clear the gate and CR 111 approach immediately.
  3. Assign a flagger to meet and guide responders to the incident zone.
  4. Radio Command (Ch 11) + Gate / Parking (Ch 7) with what is inbound and where it is going.
  5. Hold other traffic until the emergency vehicle is clear.

Call / Escalate

  • Gate / Traffic Lead — Zac Roberts (810) 599-6243 · Ch 7
  • Incident Commander — Chad Simpson (708) 363-3037 · Ch 11
  • 911 — coordinate the inbound emergency unit

Do Not

  • Do NOT let vehicles block the lane or gate.
  • Do NOT direct responders down soft/closed roads without a guide.
  • Do NOT allow re-entry traffic to interfere with an active response.

Lost / Missing Person or Child

Aid 7 / 7

When: A child or vulnerable person is reported lost or missing.

Do — in order

  1. Get a description: name, age, clothing, last seen where/when, who reported.
  2. Radio all channels with the description; Safety coordinates the search.
  3. Post staff at the gate so the person cannot leave the grounds unnoticed.
  4. Bring reporter and, when found, the person to the reunification point (Medical/Safety HQ).
  5. Call 911 if a child is not found quickly or foul play is suspected.

Call / Escalate

  • Safety / Security — Chad Simpson (708) 363-3037 · Ch 5
  • Incident Commander — Ch 11
  • 911 — if not found quickly or foul play suspected

Do Not

  • Do NOT release a child to anyone unverified.
  • Do NOT stop searching until stood down by Command.
  • Do NOT broadcast a child’s full details publicly beyond staff radio.