Friend, 

As we strive towards creating safer events, the emphasis often falls on the immediate response to emergencies. Last month, we delved into the critical “run, hide, fight” protocol, underlining the importance of a robust, immediate action plan in the face of specific threats. This month, we shift our focus to another cornerstone of event safety:

mastering emergency response skills through training, drills, and exercises. Mastery goes beyond mere familiarity, but encompasses a deep understanding, instinctual reactions, and the ability to adapt and lead under pressure. 

To cultivate this level of proficiency, training and practice must be both rigorous and thoughtful. Rigor ensures that a broad expanse of possible scenarios is covered, pushing the limits of team performance in a controlled environment. Thoughtfulness ensures that these exercises are relevant, engaging, and tailored to the unique challenges of each venue and team. 

This approach fosters an environment where learning is continuous and deeply integrated into the fabric of our safety culture. Here are some questions we ask at Joffe to evaluate whether our training programs are rigorous and thoughtful:

• Are training topics directly applicable to the types of events hosted and the specific layout of the venue?
• Are we activating true participation and investment in the learning outcomes to enhance retention?
• Are lessons learned from past incidents and evolving best practices represented in the benchmarks?
• Does the training cycle address the communication, leadership, and decision-making processes needed?
• Are there opportunities for external agencies, other venues, and our event safety partners to participate?

This month, I challenge each venue and its teams to apply these questions to your own emergency response training programs. Taking that one step further, consider sharing your experiences, challenges, and successes with us and other partners and vendors. We’d love to hear from you; after all, we are in this work together!

In strength,

Chris Joffe

Founder and CEO 

(X)Twitter: @JoffeChris 

The Power of Words: Crafting Effective Crisis Communication in Event Venues

In many situations, how event venues communicate about a crisis can be just as impactful as the response itself. Developing systems to support crisis communication is not an easy task, but we believe it is a vital component of your overall emergency management strategy. This month’s blog presents crisis communication principles that are universally applicable to all event organizations.

We provide medical professionals to THOUSANDS of events across the country

MONSTER JAM 2024

Joffe Responders kicked off “Dirt Season” with Monster Jam in Los Angeles. Monster Jam gives fans three exciting weekends full of action-packed entertainment, including racing, skills competitions, and freestyle events. We were thrilled to be a part of this exhilarating annual tradition.

LAFC VS SEATTLE

The Major League Soccer Season kicked off at the end of February with a match between the Black and Gold against the Seattle Sounders. While the crowd of over 22,000 fans were on the edge of their seats, Joffe Responders were ready to provide top-notch safety services.

DETROIT TIGERS

SPRING TRAINING

The Detroit Tigers returned to Lakeland, Florida to hone their skills ahead of the upcoming Major League Baseball season. Joffe Responders led the first aid stations to ensure that players and guests remained “baseball ready.”

Andrew is a Certified NREMT, NH State EMT, and a CA State EMT. Working at Angel Stadium since 2018, Andrew hopes to be an EMT at an Angels World Series in the near future. Until then, his focus is to continue creating an efficient and effective work environment for Joffe staff. His dedication to helping his colleagues to grow and thrive has earned him the respect and admiration of our staff, as well as our client partners.

In his spare time, Andrew likes to surf, rollerblade, and play hockey. He also loves to go to movies and local sporting events, especially Ducks games. 

Thank you, Andrew, for your stellar work!

Katherine (Kate) Schweit is an author, attorney, former Chicago prosecutor, and career Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent who helped jail bank robbers, kidnappers, and domestic terrorists while working daily with local police investigating and responding to mass casualty and active shooter incidents. Kate’s incredible experience is vital in her work as a policy and security consultant. She is regularly invited by professional, government, and media organizations to share her insight into the challenges of preventing and managing mass shootings and complex terrorist attacks.

Kate's is also an accomplished author and award-winning journalist. Her books Stop the Killing: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis, now in its 2nd edition, and How to Talk About Guns with Anyone are important reads for anyone in the safety or law enforcement field. Many will recognize her as the author of the FBI’s seminal research, “A study of 160 active shooter incidents in the United States 2000-2013” or as the co-host of the podcast, “Stop the Killing”. 

As a recognized expert in mass shootings, crisis response, workplace violence, and corporate security policies, we are honored that Kate finds time to serve on our Joffe Advisory Board and was our recent guest on our latest event safety webinar with The Command Pod.

Stay up on the latest...

Save the Date: March 25th - The Command Pod Webinar

Join hosts Alex Soltero, National Director of Event Safety, and Liz Rupert, Safety Consultant, as they discuss all things training, exercises, and drills. In this month’s webinar, we will explore what makes a training event meaningful, how to hack your training calendar, and how AI can inject creativity into your exercise scenarios.

Add the webinar to your calendar

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Joffe’s Event Hub is your exclusive library and our archive of insightful webinar episodes. All of The Command Pod episodes with event safety experts are available with a free membership.

Want to learn more about safety?

Now available on audiobook! Check out Chris Joffe’s new book, “All Clear: Lessons from a Decade Managing School Crises.” Chris breaks down all his lessons, tips, and tricks for successful emergency response! Find it on Audible, Apple Books, or your favorite audiobook seller.

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We regularly post updates, blog posts, and share resources specifically designed to support event safety.

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@JoffeChris & @Joffeemergency

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