HOUSTON, Texas -- Five months after 10 people died as a result of the Astroworld Festival in Houston, statewide experts suggest loopholes in city and state law need to be tightened up and emergency officials need more control over mass events.
"People lost their lives. Children died at a concert. That should never happen," said Houston Fire Department union president Marty Lancton, who was the only Houston-area representative on the task force. "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," according to the report.Because there wasn't occupancy permits for the event, Lancton said there wasn't an"adequate safety plan" and the fire department"had no commanding control on the inside of this concert.
During Astroworld, medical services were from a private contractor. The Houston Fire Department was off-site but wasn't called until people were in serious medical need. Lancton said the command center would also allow fire, EMS and police officers to communicate more efficiently and work together when responding to critical incidents.The recommendations also call for more"robust training resources for promoters, staff, and first responders," and event organizers should make sure risk management is a top priority when planning.
Earlier this year, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and the county launched a task force in February focused on how special events are organized in the Houston area.