Planning and Commanding Mass Gatherings

 The Planning and Commanding Mass Gatherings course prepares management-level responders to function effectively as members of an Incident Management Team during mass gatherings and civil disorder events.

The course provides comprehensive instruction in incident management principles, with an emphasis on pre‑event planning, coordination, and the roles and responsibilities of command and general staff during special events, mass gatherings, and civil disturbances.

Students will develop a local Incident Action Plan (IAP) and learn how to implement and direct response actions from the management and command level.

The course culminates in a facilitated tabletop exercise, during which students apply the knowledge and skills gained throughout the course to plan for, manage, and command incidents associated with mass gatherings.

• Describe the roles, responsibilities, and authorities of management‑level responders within an Incident Management Team during mass gatherings and civil disorder incidents. 
• Apply Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) principles to the planning, organization, and command of mass gathering and special event incidents. 
• Identify and evaluate pre‑event planning considerations for mass gatherings, including risk assessment, resource management, interagency coordination, communications, and contingency planning. 
• Develop a comprehensive local Incident Action Plan (IAP) tailored to a mass gathering or civil disturbance scenario. 
• Demonstrate effective management‑level decision‑making in response to evolving conditions during mass gatherings or civil disorder events. 
• Coordinate command and general staff functions to support unified command and multi‑agency operations during special events. 
• Implement management‑level response actions consistent with established plans, policies, and legal authorities. 
• Analyze incident dynamics to adjust strategies, objectives, and resource deployment during mass gathering operations. 
• Evaluate command decisions and operational outcomes during a tabletop exercise involving a simulated mass gathering incident. 
• Integrate lessons learned and best practices into future planning for mass gatherings and civil disturbances.