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CHAPTER 11 Emerging Trends in Crisis Management Opening Case: The Problem of Hanging Out With the Crowd An example of a well-documented crowd crush occurred in Cincinnati. Ohio, at a December 3, 1979, concert by the rock band, the Who. Approximately 8,000 fans had assembled outside the Riverfront Coliseum to gain entry when pushing started from those in the back of the line. Because the doors had not been opened, those in the front responded by pushing back, creating shock waves throughout the line. As people began to fall others fell on top of them and were trampled. Eleven people died as a result of the crush (Seabrook, 2011). At similar event 20 years later, eight people died and donens were injured during a Pearl Jam concert in Roskilde, Denmark. The open-air concert did not have assigned seating and was part of a larger four-day festival that attracted 90,000 people (Al, 2000). During this crush, thousands of fans were pushing forward toward the stage. A barrier broke between the stage and the crowd, and a number of fans lost their footing and were trampled. Research indicates that in developing countries, religious festivals are the most likely events to develop into crowd crushes. However, in developed countries, rock concerts and soccer matches are potential breeding grounds for crushes as well (Seabrook, 2011). In Chapter 2. we discussed one such event, the 1989 Hillsborough crash at a soccer match in Sheffield, England, that resulted in the deaths of 95 soccer fans (Elliott & Smith, 1993). However, potential crowd crushes are common occurrences after sporting events when fans rush a basketball court or football field to celebrate. Anyone who falla risks being trampled to death. At football games, fans risk being hurt when Most people would think that meeting with friends at a concert or sporting event would be a pleasant experience, and it should be. Yet, under certain conditions, it could also get you killed. Such a scenario can occur when a group of people is paciend tightly in a small space. The result is what crowd behavior scholars call a crush or 'stampede. People become so tightly entwined that they cannot breathe, er if they happen to fall, are trampled to death. The Crowd Crush the goal post is brought down. Planning for these events and establishing waiting impatiently to enter the store at 5:00 AM for the advertised Blitz Day. crowd control policies in advance are required to keep fans safe When the doors were finally opened, a stampede commenced that knocked Paul Wertheimer is one of a limited number of researchers who studies down the security employee at the entrance, Idinytai Dumour. Dumour, 34, the impact of crowd behavior on human safety. After the 1979 Who was a large individual at 6 feet 5 inches and 270 pounds, but his large frame concert, Wertheimer was appointed to investigate the event and make did not save him from being trampled to death. The Nassau County medical recommendations on how to prevent future occurrencer. At the time, he was examiner ruled that he died of asphysciation. Eleven other people were also working as a public information officer for the city of Cincinnati. Wertheimer injured in the incident (Lynch, 2009). traveled all over the country and learned how crowds were managed at other A major problem with the event at Wal-Mart was the heavy media public venues, including concerts. This learning process developed into a attention that had advertised bargains, but only limited quantities lifelong passion and career as a crowd management consultant. Wertheiser of merchandise were available. According to Nassau County Police even conducted field research by venturing into mosh pitsat rock concerts Commissioner, Lawrence Mulvey. "When you advertise products, and you to learn more about crowd behavior, an effort that eamed him the nickname market it heavily, and it garners public Interest, and it's great bargains with "the old man in the pit" (Seabrook, 2011). His expertise on crowds culminated limited quantities of merchandise, and you have a crowd that can grow into a big event in his own career in July 2010, as he testified in a trial beyond the quantity available, it is a recipe for disaster" (Neff, 2008, p. 23). involving Wal-Mart. Circumstances surrounding this case are described next. Another problem with the event is simply the dynamics of a long queue (le, line of people). Individuals at the back of the queue are not aware of what Black Friday at Wal-Mart is going on at the front. Typically, those in the back often push forward, not realizing that at that very moment, nomeone may be trampled underneath The day was November 29, 2008, also referred to as "Black Friday," the others who are being carried along with the flow of the crowd, Author John biggest retail day of the year in the United States. Typically, retailers offer Seabrook described it this way in a recent article in the New Yorker: deep discounts on certain items to entice shoppers to begin a month-long urge of retail activity that ende with the Christmas holidays. At a Valley The transition from fraternal moothing to suffocating preure- Stream, New York, Wal-Mart near New York City, 2,000 customers were "crowd eru often seurs almost imperceptibly; one doesn't realize The Aftermath Rather than face a criminal prosecution, Wal-Mart opted to pay $1.5 million to Nassau County Social Services. In addition, the retailer set up a $400,000 fund for the victims and agreed to develop a crowd management plan for all of its New York stores (Lynch, 2009). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also cited the company for inadequate crowd management during the Black Priday event. Advertising has also changed since 2008. Wal-Mart no longer calls Black Friday "BlitzDay" but rebranded it as "The Event" (Seabrook, 2011). what's happening until it's too late to escape. Something interrupts the flow of pedestrians blocked exit, say, while an escalator continues to feed people into a closed-off space.... At a certain point, you feel pressure on all sides of your body, and realize that you can't raise your arms. You are pulled off your feet, and welded into a block of people. The crowd forces squeeze the air out of your lungs and you struggle to take another breath. (Seabrook, 2011, p. 33) While some bave written off such crowd behavior as a sort of bizarre mob psychology, in reality, individuals in the crowd lose control at a certain point when the crowd resembles a single fluidentity, Crowd researcher John Fruin noted that an occupancy rate of seven persons per square meter causes the crowd to act more like a fluid mass. Under these circumstances, a person no longer has control over physical movement and may not even be able to breathe. That is why many people who die in crowd crushes experience compressive asphyxia (Fruin, 1993). However, blaming the crowd" for trampling a person is not always valid, because crowd movement is based on the shock waves that are sent through it. Such shock waves can be initiated by someone pushing from the back of the queue. Under these circumstances, adense crowd can only move forward, trampling anything that happens to be in its way. Opening Case Discussion Questions 1. What is the best way to manage a Black Friday event? As you discuss your answer, consider the following alternatives Increase security? Advertise unlimited quantities on sale items as long as they are purchased by a certain day? Decrease advertising? Consider the revenue and expense implications of each alternative. 2. Do you think Wal-Mart was unfairiy implicated in the death of its employee? Should "the crowd be considered at fault as well? How can