Event and Crowd Management Course: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: Planning and briefing

Concerts, festivals, sports games and parades bring many people into a small space. Most problems at events can be prevented with good planning. Before the gates open, attend the briefing and make sure you know:

Your post, your shift and who you report to.
Radio channels and call signs.
All exits, first aid posts, and the lost-child point.
The emergency plan: evacuation routes, assembly points and the weather plan.
Prohibited items and the event's conditions of entry.
Where alcohol can be served and the age rules.

Pre-opening checks

Exits and exit routes are clear and unlocked.
Barriers and fences are secure.
Trip hazards, loose cables and broken lights are reported.
Fire extinguishers and first aid kits are in place.

In Alberta, AGLC requires ProTect certification for security staff at commercial public resale special events.

Lesson 2: Entry, searches and age checks

Bag checks at events are usually a condition of entry. A person can refuse a search, but then they can be refused entry. You cannot force a search or hold someone to search them.

Steps for a consent search at an event gate.

Ask for permission and explain why. The person may say no.
Where possible, the person searching is the same sex as the person being searched.
A witness or camera can see the search.
Search in order, looking only for prohibited items.
Record anything important, and give illegal items to police.

Apply the same rules to everyone.
Follow event policy for prohibited items, such as returning them to a car.
Call police for weapons or other illegal items.
Be polite and quick; long lines create pressure at the gate.

Age checks for alcohol

The legal drinking age is 18 in Alberta and 19 in Ontario. In Alberta, staff ask for proof of age from anyone who appears to be under 25. Accept only original, valid, government-issued photo ID. Refuse entry to licensed areas to anyone who appears intoxicated.

Many events use wristbands to show who has been age-checked. Put the band on yourself rather than handing it over, and watch for bands being passed to younger friends. If you think a guest is underage, refuse service politely and call a supervisor if needed.

Lesson 3: Crowd safety

Fire codes based on the National Fire Code set limits that protect crowds. The number of people in a room must not exceed its occupant load. Assembly rooms for more than 60 people must post the occupant load near the main entrances. Exits must be kept free of obstructions.

Warning signs

People are pushed along and cannot move on their own.
Waves or surges move through the crowd.
People shout for help, faint or try to climb out over barriers.
Crowds pile up at a narrow gate, stairway or exit.

What to do

Radio control right away with the exact location.
Stop more people from entering the area.
Open extra space or exits as the plan says.
Give calm, clear, simple directions and point the way.
Help people out from the edges; never push into a dense crowd.

Keeping people moving

Good flow prevents most crowd problems. Open enough gates before the doors open so lines do not build up on the street. Keep lines in one direction, with space for people to leave. Count people in and out when the area has a set capacity, and tell control early when numbers get close to the limit. At the end of the event, open all planned exits at once and keep people moving away from the doors.

Lesson 4: Weather and emergencies

Environment and Climate Change Canada says that if you can hear thunder, you can be struck by lightning. Move people to safe shelter right away and keep them there until 30 minutes after the last thunder.

Safe shelter	Not safe
A fully enclosed building with wiring and plumbing	Tents, sheds, picnic shelters and covered porches
A metal-roofed vehicle with the windows closed	Under trees, near poles, wires or fences

A good event plan names someone to watch forecasts and warnings and to delay or cancel early, before a storm arrives.

Medical emergencies and overdoses

Call for medical help, make space around the person and guide responders in. If someone may be overdosing, call 911. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects the person who calls for help, the person overdosing and others at the scene when help arrives from simple drug possession charges.

A typical evacuation, from the alarm to the headcount.

The alarm is raised and 911 is called.
Help people who need assistance.
Direct people to the nearest safe exit.
Send people to the assembly point.
Report to control and the fire department.

Lesson 5: Removing guests and lost children

Event organizers can set rules and remove guests who break them. In Ontario, a person who does not leave right away when told to by the occupier or a person they authorize commits an offence under the Trespass to Property Act.

Ask the person to leave and explain why, calmly and in private if possible.
Work with a partner and keep a safe distance.
Escort the person to the exit; do not drag or push.
Call police for criminal acts or if the person refuses and becomes a danger.
Write a report with times, names and witnesses.

Lost children

If a parent reports a missing child, get a description and radio control right away so exits can be watched.
If you find a lost child, stay with them in a visible spot and radio control.
Bring the child to the lost-child point as the plan says.
Hand the child over only as the procedure says, after checking who the adult is.