On the Red Bull Flugtag Fiasco...

From all reports the recently concluded Red Bull Flugtag could have been seen as either an amazing and fun filled event, a nightmare never to be experienced again or a tragic horror story based on if you were an attendee, someone trapped in the ensuing gridlock for three hours just trying to get to your own home or the family of one of the so far three dead children whose deaths are as a direct result of the Red Bull sponsored event.

The blame game is being played out in full with everyone tripping over themselves to pass the buck so as not to be heald complicit, culpable or even criminally liable if the evidence provides for it, but make no mistake this is a very easy problem to solve. Just follow the chain of communication from inception to execution, follow the money (as in who paid who to provide what and who failed to provide essential services), and follow the list of legal responsibility where public events, licenses and State agency permissions are concerned.

The Organizers:

• Did they adequately plan for the size of the event knowing the level of marketing and hype spent encouraging attendance at a world famous and free event.
• Did they contact and involve all the necessary and relevant stakeholders, agencies and organizations.
• Was adequate health, safety and security measures put in place 
• Did they contact, inform and partner with all relevant agencies, authorities and regional corporations. 

The Chaguaramas Development Authority:

• Did they contravene their operating terms of reference in any way by unilaterally granting permission for an event of this nature
• Were adequate safeguards stipulated in the lease/license document as part of the terms and conditions

The Brand Owners (Red Bull):

• Having done this sort of event on numerous occasions, did they provide the local organizers with a fair and detailed guideline for execution
• Were they responsible in any way for the provision of information and or guidelines to any state/health/safety/regulatory or protection agency or corporation and failed to so do

The Protective Services:

• Did they give permission for this event
• Did they outline the strength of protective, health and safety services as required by law for hosting public events
• Did they follow through on investigations once approvals and permissions were granted to ascertain the public's exposure due to the anticipated size of the event
• Was the traffic management branch alerted and informed as to the potential for traffic as had been caused by similar events in the past
• If yes, did the traffic management branch fail in its duty to the public
• Did the fire services grant permission for the event and outline the codes for public safety as required by law

The Coast Guard:

• Were they informed as to the nature of the event and the potential for maritime abuse
• Did they grant permission and stipulate as to maritime safety requirements and regulations
• Did they provide sufficient assets so as to prevent loss of life and other injury

This list is by no means conclusive and no doubt there may be others left out who either failed to play their part effectively, failed to inform or alert those above, below or sideways in the public safety chain and those who may have just failed outright. A catastrophe of this magnitude needs to have someone or someones held accountable and liable and prosecuted where laws of the land were broken, relieved of their responsibility where the responsibility for the safety of the public is concerned or fined and charged the follow on costs of any clean up, investigations and prosecutions.

The Brand Owners, the Brand Managers, the event organizers, the CDA, every state body, arm or organization that granted permission and every arm of the protective services relevant to such an event whether included or not are all exposed to some level on culpability here and should all be made to answer.

Make no mistake, what occurred on that fateful Sunday had the capacity to become even more catastrophic were it not for sheer fortuitous luck and possibly the grace of God. Had the worst occurred (and I am in no way saying three lives lost is not tragically bad in itself) it would have been impossible to get life saving assets into or out of the required location and countless other lives could have been lost.

The inconvenience to every resident blocked in or out of their homes should be compensated by the brand owners in real financial terms so as to send a very clear message to potential promoters in the future, measure three times before you cut. The safety and well being of the citizens of this country must come first and those who trample upon that must be made to pay and pay dearly.

Oscar Wilde was noted as having said "Experience is the name one gives to his mistakes," and while that may be so and as is clear in this situation, only a fool will fail to learn from them...

Something to think about...