UNITED STATES
Federal / National
Crowd & Event Safety
Unlike the United Kingdom, the United States does not operate under a single national event-safety framework comparable with the Green Guide or Purple Guide. Event and crowd-safety requirements can arise from federal legislation and regulation, state legislation, state-adopted codes, county requirements, municipal ordinances, permit conditions and the requirements of the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
One country.
Multiple regulatory layers.
Unlike the United Kingdom, the United States does not operate under a single national event-safety framework comparable with the Green Guide or Purple Guide. Event and crowd-safety requirements can arise from federal legislation and regulation, state legislation, state-adopted codes, county requirements, municipal ordinances, permit conditions and the requirements of the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
Federal legislation and federal agency guidance should therefore be regarded as the national foundation. Individual state and local requirements must subsequently be established for the location in which an event is held.
A further distinction must be made between federal law and nationally recognised standards. Standards published by ANSI, ESTA, NFPA and the International Code Council can be highly influential but do not automatically constitute federal law. Their legal application can arise through adoption by a state or municipality, incorporation into regulations, permit conditions, contractual obligations or requirements imposed by the relevant AHJ.
National foundation.
Local application.
Federal legislation and federal agency guidance should therefore be regarded as the national foundation. Individual state and local requirements must subsequently be established for the location in which an event is held.
A further distinction must be made between federal law and nationally recognised standards. Standards published by ANSI, ESTA, NFPA and the International Code Council can be highly influential but do not automatically constitute federal law. Their legal application can arise through adoption by a state or municipality, incorporation into regulations, permit conditions, contractual obligations or requirements imposed by the relevant AHJ.
Sixteen federal and national reference areas.
The directory follows the order of the supplied Federal / National research. Each number links directly to the corresponding reference section.
Federal Legislation And Regulation
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended
The Americans with Disabilities Act is one of the principal federal accessibility and non-discrimination statutes. It has direct relevance to event venues, public accommodations, publicly operated events, ticketing, accessible facilities, routes and services.
ADA Title II Regulations – 28 CFR Part 35
Title II applies to state and local government services, programmes and activities. It is particularly relevant where events, public spaces, venues or facilities are operated by state or municipal authorities.
ADA Title III Regulations – 28 CFR Part 36
Title III applies to public accommodations and commercial facilities. This has particular relevance to privately operated venues, theatres, arenas, stadiums, auditoriums, convention facilities and other event environments.
2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
The standards contain enforceable scoping and technical requirements for accessibility. Relevant areas include accessible routes, entrances, assembly areas, wheelchair spaces, companion seating, lines of sight, toilet facilities and other venue infrastructure. (ADA.gov)
Guidance on the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
This provides Department of Justice explanatory guidance on application of the ADA design standards.
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
The Occupational Safety and Health Act provides the principal federal framework for employee health and safety. Its relevance extends to event organisers, venue employees, security personnel, production crews, contractors and other workers.
29 CFR Part 1910 – Occupational Safety and Health Standards
These general-industry occupational safety regulations have application across many aspects of event workplaces and venue operations.
29 CFR 1910.38 – Emergency Action Plans
This regulation establishes minimum workplace emergency-action-plan requirements, including reporting emergencies, evacuation procedures, employee accountability and responsibilities during emergencies.
29 CFR Part 1904 – Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses
This establishes federal requirements concerning the recording and reporting of occupational injuries and illnesses.
Homeland Security Act of 2002
The Act established the United States Department of Homeland Security and provides part of the legislative foundation for national protective-security activity relevant to mass gatherings and crowded places.
Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974
This legislation forms an important part of the national fire-prevention framework and is associated with the establishment and functions of the United States Fire Administration.
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
The Stafford Act provides the principal federal statutory framework for disaster and emergency assistance.
Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006
The legislation substantially developed federal emergency-management arrangements following Hurricane Katrina and is relevant to understanding the modern FEMA framework.
Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019
Relevant to national public-health preparedness, healthcare emergency response and all-hazards planning.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Relevant to equal access and protection against discrimination.
Osha – Event Workforce Safety And Emergency Planning
OSHA is principally concerned with employee safety rather than general public crowd safety. Nevertheless, its requirements are highly relevant to the event workforce.
OSHA should also be checked on a state-by-state basis because State Plans operate in a significant number of jurisdictions.
OSHA State Plans
This directory is intended to be referenced from every state page to establish whether federal OSHA or a state occupational-safety regime applies.
OSHA Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool
Provides practical guidance on emergency action plans, evacuation arrangements, shelter-in-place procedures and emergency preparedness.
Develop and Implement an Emergency Action Plan
Provides guidance covering plan development, responsibilities, employee training, implementation and review.
Emergency Action Plan – Evacuation Elements
Provides material relating to evacuation, shelter-in-place, emergency command arrangements, routes and assisting visitors and people requiring additional support.
Create Your Own Emergency Action Plan
Interactive OSHA resource for creating a basic workplace Emergency Action Plan.
OSHA Crowd Management Safety Guidelines for Retailers
Although developed for retail environments, this document contains relevant crowd-management principles concerning anticipated large crowds, queues, barriers, entry arrangements, emergency planning and deployment of personnel.
OSHA Heat Exposure Guidance
Relevant to outdoor festivals, security personnel, event employees, production crews and event build/deconstruction activity.
Fema – Special Event Planning And Emergency Management
FEMA IS-15.B – Special Events Contingency Planning for Public Safety Agencies
This is one of the principal American special-event planning resources. It considers planning teams, hazards, event characteristics, contingency planning, public-safety agencies and application of the Incident Command System.
Special Events Contingency Planning Job Aids Manual
The detailed supporting manual for FEMA special-event contingency planning.
National Incident Management System – NIMS
NIMS provides the national framework for incident management, including common terminology, resource management, command and coordination and communication systems. It is applicable to planned events as well as emergency incidents.
NIMS Components
Provides further information on command and coordination, resource management, communications and the Incident Command System.
Incident Command System – ICS
ICS provides the command structure used extensively by US emergency services and agencies when managing both incidents and planned events.
National Response Framework
Provides the wider national framework for scalable emergency response and multi-agency coordination.
FEMA Independent Study Programme
Useful courses include IS-100, IS-200, IS-700 and IS-800, together with specialist incident-management and emergency-planning programmes.
FEMA Large Scale Events Exercise Starter Kit
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program – HSEEP
Provides a structured methodology for designing, delivering, evaluating and improving exercises, including tabletop, functional and full-scale exercises.
National Event Safety And Crowd Management Standards
These standards are particularly important to Working With Crowds and are presented together as a dedicated ANSI/ESTA Event Safety Standards collection.
The standards are approved American National Standards. They should not automatically be described as federal law. Application must be considered alongside adoption, contractual requirements, permit conditions and AHJ requirements.
ANSI ES1.9-2026 – Event Safety – Crowd Management
This is the principal US crowd-management reference on this page.
The standard distinguishes crowd management from crowd control, provides crowd-management theory and terminology, and applies these concepts to reasonably foreseeable risks at live events. The 2026 revision introduces Zone Ex, referring to the external zone around an event site where responsibility for guest safety and security may be shared. The 2020 edition is expressly identified as superseded. (TSP)
ANSI ES1.5-2026 – Event Safety – Medical Preparedness
Provides guidance for mitigating reasonably foreseeable physical and psychological health and safety hazards and planning medical provision from event set-up through final disassembly. (TSP)
ANSI ES1.4-2021 – Event Safety – Event Fire Safety Requirements
Covers identification and assessment of event-specific fire risks, effects of smoke and fire on life safety, fire prevention, means of escape and fire-safety monitoring. (TSP)
ANSI ES1.6-2025 – Event Safety – Communications
Addresses communication of internal and public information at live events, including operational, management, security, health and safety information. (TSP)
ANSI ES1.7-2021 – Event Safety – Weather Preparedness
Covers event-planning strategies intended to mitigate weather-related risk affecting live events and temporary structures. It applies to indoor and outdoor public-access events within its stated scope. (TSP)
ANSI ES1.17-2025 – Event Safety – Event Lighting & Electrical Safety
Addresses event electrical safety and lighting arrangements affecting event employees and the public.
ANSI ES1.18-2022 – Event Safety – Rigging
Addresses planning, installation, operation and dismantling of event rigging.
ANSI ES1.19-2020 – Event Safety – Safety Requirements for Special Event Structures
Covers temporary structures used for performances, presentations, technical support, seating and audience viewing.
ANSI ES1.40-2023 – Event Safety – Event Security
Provides event-security guidance relevant to music, sports, cultural, corporate and other mass-gathering environments.
ANSI ES1.42-2025 – Event Safety – Parade Safety
Provides a dedicated national standard for the particular safety issues created by parades and moving event operations.
ANSI ES1.9-2020 – Event Safety – Crowd Management
The standard should be retained only within the historical/superseded section because ESTA records it as superseded by ANSI ES1.9-2026. (TSP)
Cisa – Mass Gathering And Protective Security
CISA Mass Gathering Security Planning Tool
It assists event planners in considering venue characteristics, security measures, emergency arrangements and other protective-security matters.
Security and Resiliency Guide – SRG and Annexes
Provides a national protective-security framework and sector-specific guidance for facilities and events.
Security and Resiliency Guide – Outdoor Events Annex
Particularly relevant to festivals, fairs, parades, marathons, amusement/theme parks and other outdoor gatherings.
Security and Resiliency Guide – Public Assembly Annex
Relevant to arenas, auditoriums, convention facilities and other places where large numbers of people assemble.
Security and Resiliency Guide – Sports Leagues and Venues Annex
Relevant to stadiums, arenas, racetracks, sporting organisations and sports events.
Venue Guide for Security Enhancements – January 2025
Addresses venue risk assessment, perimeter security, access control, crowd management, traffic management, emergency management, training and exercising.
Physical Security Considerations for Temporary Facilities – September 2025
Particularly relevant to festivals and temporary event sites. Considerations include vulnerability assessment, emergency action planning, first-responder coordination, access control, queues and temporary protective measures.
Vehicle Incident Prevention and Mitigation Security Guide
Relevant to intentional and accidental vehicle incursions into pedestrian and crowded environments. It should be cross-referenced with event perimeter, traffic and crowd-management planning.
Public Venue Security Screening Guide
Relevant to security-screening operations at sporting events, concerts, fairs, exhibitions and other public venues.
CISA Hometown Security
Provides protective-security material for public gathering locations, including suspicious activity, active-assailant preparedness, bombing prevention and security planning.
Fire, Life Safety And Assembly Occupancy
NFPA and International Code Council documents are national model or consensus codes. They should not automatically be described as federal law. The edition adopted within the relevant state or municipality, local amendments and the requirements of the Authority Having Jurisdiction must be established.
NFPA 1 – Fire Code
NFPA 1 provides broad fire and life-safety requirements.
NFPA 101 – Life Safety Code
NFPA 101 is the Life Safety Code. It is an important reference for occupancy, means of egress, assembly environments and protection of occupants.
NFPA 1660 – Standard for Emergency, Continuity, and Crisis Management
Relevant to emergency preparedness, crisis management, continuity, response and recovery.
NFPA 3000 – Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response Program
Provides an integrated framework for preparedness, response and recovery from active-shooter and hostile events.
International Fire Code – IFC
The International Fire Code is widely adopted in various forms by state and local jurisdictions. Relevant matters include assembly uses, fire safety, temporary structures, tents, permits and crowd-management requirements.
International Building Code – IBC – Chapter 10 Means of Egress
Important for occupant-load calculations, egress capacity, exit arrangements and assembly-occupancy design where adopted by the relevant jurisdiction.
United States Fire Administration – State Fire Agency Directory
An important gateway resource for the future state pages because it identifies state fire agencies and State Fire Marshal organisations.
Medical, Ems And Public Health
ANSI ES1.5-2026 – Event Safety – Medical Preparedness
The principal current ANSI/ESTA event-specific medical-planning standard.
ASPR TRACIE – Mass Gatherings/Special Events Topic Collection
This is an important event reference. The collection addresses healthcare demand at mass gatherings and includes material concerning extreme weather, infectious disease, terrorism, alcohol and drug use, crowd surge, trampling and other mass-gathering health risks. (ASPR TRACIE)
ASPR TRACIE – Pre-Hospital / EMS Resources
Provides material relevant to pre-hospital emergency medicine, emergency medical services and mass-casualty planning.
FDA Food Code 2022
Provides a national model for food-safety regulation, including temporary food establishments. Adoption and enforcement generally occur through state and local authorities.
Weather And Environmental Preparedness
National Weather Service – Event Ready Guide
Highly relevant to outdoor and temporary events. It considers event weather hazards, weather monitoring, public warning, sheltering, evacuation, pedestrian movement, vulnerable populations and the time required to move people to safety.
ANSI ES1.7-2021 – Event Safety – Weather Preparedness
Provides event-specific weather-preparedness guidance for public-access events and temporary structures. (TSP)
OSHA Heat Exposure
Relevant primarily to the event workforce, particularly outdoor security, production personnel, construction/build crews and event operations.
Traffic, Transport And Pedestrian Management
FHWA – Managing Travel for Planned Special Events Handbook
The handbook addresses transportation planning for planned special events, event operations, traffic-management plans, regional coordination, travel demand and day-of-event management. Pedestrian movements, arrivals and departures are incorporated into the planned-event transport process. (FHWA Operations)
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices – MUTCD
Particularly relevant to road closures, races, parades, festivals and other events affecting public highways and traffic-control arrangements.
The current FHWA page provides the 11th Edition with Revision 1. (MUTCD)
Drones And Unmanned Aircraft At Events
FAA Part 107 – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Part 107 provides the principal federal regulatory framework for many commercial small-drone operations.
FAA – Operations Over People
Essential for events where drones may operate near spectators or gatherings. Different requirements apply according to the category of aircraft and type of operation. (Federal Aviation Administration)
FAA Part 107 Waivers
Particularly useful for event planning because the FAA specifically provides examples of possible open-air assemblies, including sporting events, concerts, parades, protests, political rallies and community festivals. (Federal Aviation Administration)
FAA Public Safety and Government UAS Resources
Relevant to public-safety agencies operating UAS and to event agencies dealing with authorised and unauthorised drone activity.
Fireworks, Pyrotechnics And Special Effects
ATF – Fireworks
Provides federal information concerning display fireworks, explosives licensing and permit requirements.
27 CFR Part 555 – Commerce in Explosives
Principal federal explosives regulation relevant to regulated display fireworks and other explosive materials.
NFPA 1123 – Code for Fireworks Display
Relevant to outdoor fireworks displays. State and local adoption, AHJ requirements and permit conditions must also be established.
NFPA 1126 – Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience
Particularly relevant to indoor and outdoor productions involving stage or performance pyrotechnics close to spectators.
NFPA 160 – Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an Audience
Relevant where flame effects are used within entertainment environments.
Event Structures, Rigging And Production Safety
ANSI E1.21 – Entertainment Technology – Temporary Structures Used for Technical Production of Outdoor Entertainment Events
Relevant to temporary event structures supporting entertainment production.
ANSI ES1.19-2020 – Safety Requirements for Special Event Structures
Relevant to temporary structures supporting performance, technical functions, seating and audience viewing.
ANSI ES1.18-2022 – Event Rigging
Relevant to event rigging planning, installation, use and dismantling.
ANSI ES1.17-2025 – Event Lighting & Electrical Safety
Relevant to electrical installations and lighting arrangements affecting workers and audiences.
Event Security, Law Enforcement And Public Order
ANSI ES1.40-2023 – Event Safety – Event Security
Provides event-specific guidance for security risk management at live events and mass gatherings.
Planning and Managing Security for Major Special Events: Guidelines for Law Enforcement
An important national reference covering planning and management of major special-event security operations.
Managing Large-Scale Security Events: A Planning Primer for Local Law Enforcement Agencies
Addresses the planning, operation and review of large-scale security events and provides useful operational checklists and planning considerations.
International Association of Chiefs of Police – Crowd Management
This is presented specifically as a public-order and policing resource rather than general crowd-safety guidance.
Police Executive Research Forum – Managing Major Events: Best Practices from the Field
Provides historical and operational learning concerning policing and security of major events.
National Crowd And Special-Event Training
MGT-475 – Crowd Management for Sport and Special Events
Particularly relevant because it addresses crowd-management planning, crowd dynamics, density management and queue-management strategies.
DHS/FEMA Sports and Special Events Training Courses
The NCS4 programme includes a range of courses concerned with risk management, incident management, evacuation and protective actions, communications and crowd management.
- AWR-167 – Sport and Special Event Risk Management and Planning
- MGT-304 – Sport and Special Event Staff Training and Development
- MGT-404 – Sports and Special Events Incident Management
- MGT-412 – Sport and Special Event Evacuation and Protective Actions
- MGT-440 – Enhanced Sports and Special Events Incident Management
- MGT-466 – Sport and Special Event Risk Management and Assessment Framework
- MGT-467 – Communication Planning and Coordination for Sport and Special Events
- MGT-475 – Crowd Management for Sport and Special Events
National Directories For The State Reference Project
These links are retained at Federal/National level and are intended for reuse during development of each state page.
United States Fire Administration – State Fire Agency Points of Contact
Provides links and contact details for State Fire Marshal offices and other state fire agencies.
OSHA State Plans
Identifies the applicable occupational-safety regime by state.
State Emergency Management Agencies
Federal USAGov directory of state emergency-management organisations.
State Health Departments
CDC directory and associated state public-health resources should be used when building the individual state medical and mass-gathering sections.
Historical And Superseded Material
Historical material can remain because it has value for research and comparison, but it should be clearly separated from material recommended for current operational use.
ANSI ES1.9-2020 – Event Safety – Crowd Management
Superseded by ANSI ES1.9-2026. ESTA expressly records the 2020 edition as superseded. (TSP)
National material does not automatically equal local approval.
A further distinction must be made between federal law and nationally recognised standards. Standards published by ANSI, ESTA, NFPA and the International Code Council can be highly influential but do not automatically constitute federal law. Their legal application can arise through adoption by a state or municipality, incorporation into regulations, permit conditions, contractual obligations or requirements imposed by the relevant AHJ.
Federal legislation and federal agency guidance should therefore be regarded as the national foundation. Individual state and local requirements must subsequently be established for the location in which an event is held.
