Last month I took my Mom to an André Rieu concert to celebrate her birthday. More than 11,000 people crowded the Allstate Arena, which is located across from O'Hare International Airport, to hear the Dutch violinist and his European orchestra play peppy Strauss waltzes.

Guess who else was there? Rosemont (Ill.) Fire Department emergency medical technicians — a lot of them.

The majority of Rieu's audience tends to be senior citizens, including my Mom. A good number of them have problems walking or are in wheelchairs. Rosemont Fire Department paramedics and EMTs were prepared to assist in carrying wheelchair patients down the steps to the main floor seats and other seats in the stadium.

As the festive opening number ended, however, my mind began to play "what if." What if a plane came down too early into the arena? What if something caught fire and demanded a mass evacuation of the 11,000 elderly attendees who weren't able to exit quickly? The crush for the narrow steps could be devastating.

After the concert, I called Rosemont Fire Chief Frank Rizzo and asked him about the evacuation plans for this event. Rizzo assured me that his department has preplans for potential incidents, whether it's a rock concert or sports event. This particular concert — with a mature audience — also was anticipated. He said that they had calls for 77 wheelchair-bound individuals. A team of EMTs and a paramedic-in-charge are in attendance at most arena events, and another paramedic and ambulance stand ready.

Any department that has buildings for large crowds — stadium, conference center or theater — must be prepared for large-scale evacuations and medical attention.

My game of "what if" reminded me of a potential disaster that I discussed with Cortez Trotter, then-commissioner of the Chicago Fire Department. Last year, as we looked at the magnificent skyline of Chicago, I asked him what he would do if downtown Chicago experienced a catastrophe like 9/11. Depending on the circumstances, Trotter calmly and confidently replied, "I'd evacuate the city."

That's a bold statement, but as the new executive director of Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Trotter will ensure that if an evacuation is necessary, the plans are in place and will be executed accordingly.

More recently, an extensive mass-casualty area was set up in Chicago's Grant Park near the site of an immigration march and rally that attracted more than 400,000 people. Thankfully the area wasn't necessary, but it was one more opportunity for the fire department to test its plans.

Last summer, the Chicago Fire Department held a High-Rise Life-Safety Conference that included hands-on drills within several of Chicago's tallest buildings. This year, the Life-Safety Conference will focus on Large-Scale Incidents, including mass evacuation, crisis communications, mass decontamination, and EMS for elderly and the hospitalized. To learn more visit www.cfdconference.com.

I've told my Mom that we won't be going to a Rieu concert next year if it's at that arena — even if we sit next to an exit. The potential for disaster was significantly heightened in that one evening.

Paranoid? Hmmm. Is it common sense, or have I become too good at playing "what if"?

Janet Wilmoth, Editorial Director
janet@firechief.com