AUSTIN, Texas — The task force put in place in the wake of the deadly Astroworld Festival has released its final report that includes "recommendations and strategies to ensure the safety of concertgoers" in Texas, according to Gov. Greg Abbott.
Some of the recommendations include:
- Robust training resources for promoters, staff, and first responders
- Concert Attendee Code of Conduct which should be part of the ticketing process
- Implementation of a universal permitting template
See more of the recommendations in full detail below.
The Texas Task Force on Concert Safety was put in place after 10 people died and hundreds more were injured last November during Travis Scott's performance at his festival in Houston.
The task force is led by Texas Music Office Director Brendon Anthony and consists of safety experts, law enforcement, firefighters, state agencies, music industry leaders and others.
"I thank the Texas Task Force on Concert Safety for their commitment to safety and security for all concertgoers and for their collaboration with stakeholders on this critical report," Abbott said. "The recommendations, findings, and solutions detailed in this report will help the State of Texas prevent another tragedy like that at Astroworld Festival from happening again."
TTFCS met several times to figure out ways to make live music festivals as safe as they can be.
"Live music is a source of joy, entertainment, and community for so many Texans — and the last thing concertgoers should have to worry about is their safety and security," Abbott said when he announced the task force's formation. "From crowd control strategies to security measures to addressing controlled substances, this task force will develop meaningful solutions that will keep Texans safe while maximizing the joy of live music events."
The task force created an online Event Production Guide. It can be found on the Texas Music Office's website.
The guide outlines best-practice recommendations related to (taken directly from Abbott's release):
- Unified On-Site Command and Control (UCC): The task force strongly supports a requirement that event promoters determine which EMS, fire, and police agencies would respond to a 911 call on the site of their event and that those agencies be employed as UCC members.
- Permitting: The task force strongly recommends that mass gathering events permitted by municipalities should follow permit guidelines and best practices for unincorporated areas that are outlined in state statute. The task force also recommends that local authorities stop the show when it is determined that an event has been organized without a permit or has breached the bounds of the issued permit. Additionally, the task force recommends implementation of a universal permitting template and that any template include a standardized checklist for County Judges responsible for issuing permits.
- Training: The Event Production Guide will include a list of robust training resources for promoters, staff, and first responders for site walkthrough drills, security briefings, communication trees, show-stop triggers and responses, and more.
- Planning with Risk Assessment: The task force recommends a Concert Attendee Code of Conduct which should be part of the ticketing process and make clear what behaviors will lead to ejection. The task force also recommends that venues communicate with other venue representatives that have hosted the artist before. Event promoters should partner with artists to encourage safety, since messaging from the artist can be uniquely persuasive for fans. In addition, the Event Production Guide will include best practices for event design and crowd control.
- Centralized Resources: The Event Production Guide will host the large collection of resource documents that information many of the task force's recommendations.