Use Special Event Operations—ArcGIS Solutions

Special Event Operations can be used to organize special events, create event site maps, develop health and safety plans, manage event incidents and assignments, monitor public health and safety operations, and create after-action reports.

In this topic, you’ll learn how to use the solution by assuming the role of a user and performing the workflows below.

Note:

Use your organization's data or configured apps to follow these workflows.

Manage special events

Special Event Operations offers a comprehensive system to manage all events in one central location. It allows you to manage the entire process through the event approval process, event site planning, operations and after-action review. All information can be kept in preparation for each event to be used next year.

In this workflow, you'll learn how to create and manage events.

Create a special event

You will start by assuming the role of a public safety event planner who needs create a special event and manage it through the planning approval process. You are asked to use the Special Event Form survey to create an event.

In a browser, from the Special Event Operations solution, view the Special Event Form survey.

In the Special Event Form survey, fill in the following details on the first page:


Parameter	Value
Enter the name of the special event	Type 5K for the Local Animal Shelter.
Select an event type	Type Competition or Race.
Description of Event	Type A great event to be had by everyone benefiting animals in need.
Open to the public	Select Yes.
Estimated Attendance	Type 1000.
Will alcohol be served at the event	Select No.

At the bottom of the first page, click Next.
Complete the remaining event form pages, selecting an event start date one week from today in the morning and ending in the evening of the same day.
On page 4 of the event survey, provide the following information:
- For Event location, type a name of a local park.
- For Locate the event on a map, type the name and city of the local park and zoom to the location.
At the bottom of the page, click Submit.

Manage and review special events

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a public safety event planner who is asked to manage the review process and notify other government departments or agencies when a Special Event Form has been submitted. You will review the event information and update the status.

In a browser, sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Special Event Operations solution.
View the Special Event Manager app.
In the Special Events table, click the Status column filter and select Under Review.
From the table, select the event that you created previously.
The event details open in the Info panel.
In the Info panel, scroll down and click Review Event Info.

The Special Event Form that was submitted earlier opens.

Review the form, and then close the Special Event Form survey.

Prepare site plans

Since many of the assets are temporarily set up before the event, planners need an interactive way to quickly assign the location of each asset. The Special Event Site Map allows coordinators or safety planners to quickly add these assets to the map for an event.

In this workflow, you'll learn how to create and copy site maps as well as notify others when maps are ready to be reviewed.

Create a special event site map

You will start by assuming the role of a public safety event organizer who needs to create an event site map for the special event. You are asked to use the Special Event Manager app to locate a special event and the Special Event Site Map to create a site map.

In a browser, sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Special Event Operations solution.
View the Special Event Manager app.
In the Special Events table, click the Status column filter and select Under Review.
In the table, select the event that you created previously.
In the Info panel, click Edit Site Map.
The Special Event Site Map app opens and zooms to the event. It also filters all related information, so you only see temporary features for your event.
In the Create Site Map pane, click Food Concessions and type King Smoothie.
Click a location on the map within the park.

Note:
The Event Identifier field is passed automatically from your filter selection in the Select Event widget and cannot be edited.
Click Save.
Repeat these steps for each event asset, route, and area you would like to add to your site map.
After completing your site map, click Save, and then close the Special Event Site Map.

Copy event maps from the previous year (optional)

In many cases, events are reoccurring and have similar site maps year after year. The Copy Previous Site and Operations Maps allows you to copy a previous site map to a new event. Modifications can then be made and added to the site map for the new event.

In this workflow, you will learn how to copy event maps from a previous year and update the maps when necessary.

Note:

To execute the Copy Previous Site and Operations Maps script, the event organizer must have access to the ArcGIS Notebooks item. In addition, you need at least two events (see the Create a special event section). The first event's status must be set to Archived and should have an associated site map. The new event should have the status set to Under Review. Do not use the event you have already approved above as it will be used in the subsequent steps..

Note:

You must be assigned a role of Administrator or custom role which includes the privilege to Create and edit notebooks in order to run an ArcGIS Notebooks and complete the following steps.

In a browser, sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Special Event Operations solution.
View the Special Event Manager app.
Click the Status column filter and select Under Review.
Select the event that you created in the Special Event Form survey.
In the Info panel, scroll down and click Copy Previous Site and Operations Maps.
An ArcGIS Notebooks app appears on a separate tab and will prompt you to sign in.
Click Cell and choose Run All.
In the Archived drop-down menu, choose a previous event that already has a site map.
In the New Event drop-down menu, choose the new event that does not have an associated site map.
Click Copy Previous Site and Operations Maps.
After the script completes, return to the Special Event Manager app and select the event in the list of events.
Click Edit Site Map and verify the new site map is complete.

Note:
You may also want to verify the operations map is complete.
Make any required modifications to the site map and click Save.

Prepare operations plans

The Special Event Operations Map allows safety planners to add all relevant health and safety resources and perform high-level risk assessments. It can be used to locate isolation areas or set up plexiglass barriers at ticket counters or food vending booths. In addition, it can be used to calculate the number of people allowed in each space using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. Event staff can use the real-time counter at entrances and exits for each venue to maintain a safe environment for everyone.

Public safety staff can add resource assignments, road closures, traffic restrictions, and estimates of crowd sizes to guide field personnel assignments. Optionally, planners can create a reference grid for field staff supporting the event, conduct a visibility assessment for high-risk locations, or identify areas that may be impacted by a potential bomb explosion or chemical spill.

In this workflow, you'll learn how to create operations maps and copy events from previous years.

Coordinate with public safety event planners

You will start by assuming the role of a public safety event planner who needs to coordinate with public safety event planners. You are asked to use the Special Event Manager app to locate a permit app and notify public safety that a health and safety plan is needed for this event.

In a browser, sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Special Event Operations solution.
View the Special Event Manager app.
Click the Status column filter and select Under Review.
Select the event you created in the Special Event Form survey, or another event.
On the Info tab, click Edit Operations Map.

Note:
When you open the Special Event Operations Map from the Special Event Manager, the Event Identifier and Plan Identifier fields are passed automatically to the Select Event widget and should not be edited.

You can use the Develop a health and safety plan workflow in the next section to help you edit the operations map.
After the Special Event Operations Map is complete, return to the Special Event Manager app, and then in the event's Info panel, click the Edit button.
Locate the Operations Map Complete field and click Yes.
Locate the Status field, click Approved.
Click Save.

Develop a health and safety plan

Next, you will assume the role of a public safety event planner who needs to develop a health and safety plan for an event. You are asked to use the Special Event Operations Map to create an operations map of public safety resources and conduct a high-level threat analysis.

In a browser, sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Special Event Operations solution.
View the Special Event Operations Map app.
Click the Basemap widget and select Imagery.
Click the Create Operations Map widget and search for PPE Station.
Place a PPE station on the map and add details for the health and safety asset.
Click Save.
Search for Handwashing Station., place it on the map, and add details for the event asset.
Click Save.
Repeat these steps for each health and safety asset, route, and area you would like to add to your operations map.
Search for Road Blocks, place two on the map, and add details for each of the road blocks.
Click Save.
At the top of the Create Operations Map widget, select Social Distancing Crowd Areas from the drop-down list.
Draw an area on the map and double-click to complete the sketch.
For Area name, type Vendor Area.

Note:
The Area name field must be unique.
For Max Capacity, type 100, and then click Save.

Note:
The area on the map is labeled with the number of people that can safely enter an area of this size based on CDC social distancing guidelines. Adjust the maximum capacity or area size if necessary.
At the top of the Create Operations Map widget, select Crowd Estimates from the drop-down list.

Note:
Crowd estimation is determined by Jacobs' method; the high, medium, and low values of crowd estimation appear on the map.
Click the template, draw an area on the map, and double-click to complete the sketch.
For Description, type Crowd Area for Event.
Click Save.
Search for Medical Tent, place it on the map, and add details for the event asset.
Finally, search for On Foot, place three public safety resources on the map, and add the following details for each resource:
- For Point of Contact, type an officer name.
- For Point of Contact Phone, type a unique phone number for each officer.
- For Comments, type Public Safety support for Humane Shelter Event.
After completing your health and safety operations map, click Save.

Conduct high-level threat analysis (optional)

The Special Event Operations Map includes a series of tools that can be used to define the impact of an incident (chemical or other threat) on event assets and resources. As you complete the health and safety plan, you may be asked to conduct a high-level threat analysis and identify the impact on your event operations plan.

In a browser, sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Special Event Operations solution.
View the Special Event Operations Map app.
Click the Gridded Reference Graphic widget to create a reference grid that can be used in large outdoor events.
Define the location of the grid from a point or area, and then click Create GRG.
To identify the impact of a chemical incident and create a potential evacuation area, click the Emergency Response Guide widget.
Select the location, material, and size of the accident along with the wind direction and time, and then click Create Zones.
Click the Threat Analysis widget to identify the impact of other threats.
Select the location, type of threat, and size of the accident, and then click Create Zones.
Finally, to identify the impact of an incident on event assets and resources, click the Situational Awareness widget.
Select the location and the distance impacted, and then click the map.

After using the Gridded Reference Graphic, Emergency Response Guide, or Threat Analysis widgets and publishing the derived layers, you can associate the layers with the event so they can be used in other event operations apps.
Select a health and safety resource you added earlier and copy the event identifier.
Click the Assign Event Identifier widget and select the features generated by the previously identified widgets.
Type the event identifier, and then click Save.

Copy event maps from the previous year

Many times, reoccurring events will use similar site and operations maps from one year to the next. For instance, an annual 5k run will have similar route, food concessions, and public safety support locations. Re-creating the site map every year can be very time consuming. In this workflow, you will learn how to copy event maps from a previous year and update the maps when necessary.

You will continue assuming the role of an event organizer. You are asked to use the Special Event Manager app and the Copy Previous Site and Operations Maps script to create a copy of the previous year site map and operations maps.

Note:

In a browser, sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Special Event Operations solution.
View the Special Event Manager app.
Click the Status column filter and select Under Review.
Select the event that you created previously.
In the Info panel, scroll down and click Copy Previous Site and Operations Maps.

An ArcGIS Notebooks app appears on a separate tab and will prompt you to sign in.
Click Cell and choose Run All.
In the Archived drop-down list, choose a previous event that already has a site map.
In the New Event drop-down list, choose the new event that does not have an associated site map.
Click Copy Previous Site/Operations Maps.
After the script completes, return to the Special Event Manager app and select the event in the table.
Click Edit Site Map and verify the new site map is complete.

Note:
You may also want to verify the Special Event Operations Map is complete.
Make any required modifications to the site map, and then click Save.

Conduct health and safety operations

The Special Event Operations solution provides a complete set of capabilities that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public safety personnel working at special events by enabling public safety personnel with tools to capture information from the field to share with commanders in a synthesized operational picture in real time.

In this workflow, you'll learn how to use a collection of maps and apps to support incident commanders and site staff to visualize, monitor, and communicate real-time status during an event as well as visualize incident response after an event has occurred.

Deploy event operations apps

Public safety event planners and incident commanders need a unique set of maps and apps for each event. The unique maps and apps allow them to manage personnel assignments, activities, and incidents during an event and conduct after-action reviews that help them improve planning for future events. Each event requires the following:

Unique apps for incident commanders, firefighters and emergency medical technicians, law enforcement officers, event dispatchers, health and safety officers, cleaning staff, and site staff
The ability to monitor the location field personnel assigned to an event
An incident tracking and assignment system that can be used onsite at the event
Maps that show relevant event assets and public safety resources assigned to an event

You will assume the role of a public safety event planner. You are asked to use the Special Event Operations Notebook to create a copy of the event operations apps for a unique event.

Note:

You must be assigned a role of Administrator or custom role which includes the privilege to Create and edit notebooks in order to run an ArcGIS Notebooks and complete the following steps.

In a browser, go to the Special Event Operations Notebook and review the instructions provided with ArcGIS Notebooks.
Click the Cell menu and click Run All.
Under Select a Special Event to deploy Operations applications, click the Select an Event drop-down arrow and choose your event.
Click Deploy Special Event Operations.

The creation of the event operations apps takes a few minutes to complete.

After the progress bar is complete, click View Deployed Event Operations.
A collection of new event operations apps opens.

Assign mobile personnel

Public safety staff working at the event can use the mobile apps in the next steps to track their locations and collect field operations. To accomplish this, they will need a named user login and access to the applications utilized later in the workflow. The following steps will grant users access so they can utilize the apps and share their location. Note, before proceeding make sure all users have the ArcGIS account requirements for location tracking.

In a browser, sign in to your ArcGIS organization and click the Apps button in the header of the site.
From the app launcher, click Workforce to open the app.
Under Projects, hover over the {Event Name} Special Event Manager and click the Configure button.
Click the Users tab.
Follow the instructions to either manually add mobile workers or to add workers from a file.
Optionally, add additional dispatchers to the Workforce project.

Users added to the Workforce project will now be able to open the Workforce app on their mobile device to receive assignments from the dispatcher.

After you finish, return to your ArcGIS organization and click the Apps button in the header of the site.
From the app launcher, click Track Viewer to open the app.
Under Projects, hover over the {Event Name}_trackview and click the Configure button.
Click the Select to add mobile users drop-down arrow, and then under Workforce project (import workers), select {Event Name} Special Event Field Manager.
Click Add.
Optionally, add additional Track Viewers that can view the location of mobile personnel in the Command Center application.
Note:
To add additional support personnel, repeat these steps.
Users added to the track view will now be able to share their location when using the Field Maps app on their mobile device described later.

Report activity and track locations from the field

During an event, public safety staff and site staff collect field observations that are used to protect the health and safety of event attendees. In addition, the ability to quickly identify the location of field personnel is critical during the event. Dispatchers and incident commanders need to see a map with the location of their staff to determine who should respond to specific incidents.

You will assume the role of a firefighter, emergency medical technician, or law enforcement officer who needs to report suspicious activity or a safety concern observed at the event. You are asked to use the Special Event Field Reporter map to report the suspicious activity or safety concern. Your location will also be tracked so dispatch has the ability to see resources as they receive calls.

Download ArcGIS Field Maps onto your mobile device.
Open the app on your mobile device and sign in to your organization.
Tap {Event Name} Special Event Field Reporter to open it.
Tap Add and tap Suspicious Activity.
Fill in the following details:
Parameter Value
Description
Select Suspicious Activity.
Notes
Type Backpack left at location with no owner to be seen for 20 minutes.
Enter address, or generic description.
Type Behind bbq vendor tent.
Optionally, add an image or picture.
Locate the field report on the map.
Click Submit.

Parameter	Value
Description	Select Suspicious Activity.
Notes	Type Backpack left at location with no owner to be seen for 20 minutes.
Enter address, or generic description.	Type Behind bbq vendor tent.

Manage field assignments

It’s common for minor incidents such as traffic accidents, medical calls, or disorderly spectators to occur during a special event. Often these incidents are reported by radio or 911 calls to a dispatcher in the event command center.

Now, you will assume the role of an event dispatcher who needs to assign field reports or other incidents to field staff. You are asked to use the Special Event Command Center to assign the suspicious activity or safety concern to a firefighter, emergency medical technician, or law enforcement officer.

Note:

This workflow requires you to be signed in to your ArcGIS organization and have the Special Event Operations solution deployed.

In a browser, go to the Special Event Command Center and open it in a browser.
Click Dispatch to create assignments.
Click one of the listings for Assignment in the list.
Click Edit.
Validate the assignment type by looking at the Description and change the Assignment Type to the correct type (Suspicious Activity).
Select Assign and choose a mobile worker from the drop-down menu.
Click the Search bar and type an address or name of a special event asset such as a concession stand.
Click Special Event Assets: 1 Result feature and click Create assignment.

In the new assignment, fill in the following details:


Parameter	Value
Assignment Type	Select Medical Response.
Assign	Choose a mobile worker from the drop-down list.
Description	Type Citizen reporting heat exhaustion and has collapsed.
Priority	Choose High from the drop-down list.
Due Date and Time	Select a time on the same day of the event.

Click Create Assignment.

Field personnel can open the ArcGIS Workforce app on their mobile device and see their assignments.

In many cases field personnel will be too busy to examine their assignments on their phone and communication will be done via radio. In this case, the dispatcher may want to close the assignments to take them off the active list.
In the Special Event Command Center click Dispatch > Update Status.
Click Freehand Polygon and draw a polygon to select some Assignments.
In the Update Assignment Status dialog change the Status to Completed.
This will mark the assignments as Closed and not appear as an active assignment for the field personnel to work. You will see the assignment status in the Dispatch console and dashboards later in the workflow.

Track cleaning and stocking status

You will now assume the role of janitorial staff. You are asked to use the ArcGIS Field Maps mobile app to update the status of locations after you clean, disinfect, or restock them with PPE.

Download ArcGIS Field Maps onto your mobile device.
Open the app on your mobile device and sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
Choose Cleaning and Restocking Map.
Choose a station for PPE Station, choose Cleaning and Restocking Status in the pop-up, and tap the Add button.
Note:
The space under the Add button displays all historical status records for a location, so as a station is restocked with PPE, a user can review this list to see when it was restocked and how much PPE it was restocked with.
Choose status, choose Re-stocked, and add the number of boxes stocked of each PPE type.
Choose Submit.

Monitor event operations

Incident commanders need real-time information on the location of incidents and staff as well as incoming weather and traffic information to make informed decisions during an event. The Special Event Operations Dashboard can be used in the command center on the day of the event.

In a browser, go to the Special Event Operations gallery app.
Click the name and date of your event Special Event Command Center.
On the Monitor tab, Tracked Units, Units on assignment, and Last Known Locations provide up-to-date location information of staff and assignments.
Click Open incidents within the last hour and choose an incident.
Click the Post Locations drop-down arrow under Monitor to see post location versus the actual location of staff.
Click the Weather drop-down arrow under Monitor to see real-time weather radar information.
Click the Traffic drop-down arrow under Monitor to see real-time traffic and road closure information.
Click the Sanitation drop-down arrow under Monitor to see real-time cleaning and restocking status for PPE stations, high-touch locations, and other health assets.
Close the app.

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