Safety Corner: Attractions Being Prepared

As I begin my first year as Chair of the IAAPA Global Safety and Security Committee, I have had the opportunity to reflect on where our industry excels—and where we still need to strengthen our collective preparedness. The attractions industry is, by any objective measure, a safe one—we operate under robust technical standards, invest in training, and work hard to foster strong safety cultures. At the same time, as the safety and security landscape keeps moving, we must move along with it.

One consistent theme I’ve seen across my professional experience, research, and conversations with operators is that many organizations feel confident in some areas of crisis management but less prepared in others. We often focus more on crisis communications than on the operational response that happens when an incident first unfolds. I refer to this as the “first X minutes”—the critical early moments when decisions made by frontline teams and operational leaders shape long-term outcomes for guests, team members, and the facility itself.

This is not a criticism of operators. Attractions are complex, guest-focused environments, not emergency services organizations or disaster management agencies. Yet, in those early moments, operators are the first responders. Actions taken before agencies arrive—establishing command, protecting people, stabilizing the situation—define whether an incident is controlled or chaotic.

One of the most important findings from my research is that preparedness is not about predicting every possible scenario. Yes, you need a plan, but there is a direct relationship between the length of a document and how many people will actually use it. 

The goal is not volume; it’s decision-making capability. Operators that invest in structured planning, realistic training, and joint exercises with emergency services are far better positioned to manage the incidents effectively. Preparation doesn’t eliminate risk, but it dramatically reduces confusion when something goes wrong.

As a former IAAPA Safety and Security Committee chair reminded me, quoting Winston Churchill, “Never waste a crisis.” Every incident contains lessons—not just for one operator, but for our entire industry. Strong industries share those lessons, learn from them, and use the findings to raise standards for everyone.