I. Theorizing of the artificially generated stampede
In 2011, I became concerned about the potential and inevitability of something I referred to as an artificially generated stampede.
It wasn't really some magical epiphany. It just came to me while I was exercising.
DEFINITION - AGS (artificially generated stampede) - a sudden rush of people likely induced through electronic short message services
It struck me as blatantly obvious that at some point during the course of humanity, likely sooner rather than later, an AGS will occur.
Might be better to start with the basics. A brief examination of stadium emergency evacuation protocol. This is sensitive subject matter, so I'll only give a brief overview. Every so often, we'll see a stadium deal with an emergency evacuation. It's usually due to inclement weather, such as lightning strikes. There is a very specific way to evacuate a large crowd. First, a message (possibly in concert with a widescreen or the jumbotron) is delivered over the public address system asking for everyone's cooperation. A second message is then issued to clear the field of all players and personnel. That message is repeated until the initial phase is complete. Then, a third message is delivered to evacuate the crowd. It's repeated until the the crowd has completely evacuated. Obviously, these things take time. 20 minutes to safely evacuate an NFL or NCAA Division I stadium is by any means, a conservative estimate.
I found myself a recent participant of a real-time stadium evacuation at a WV Mountaineers vs. Marshall Thundering Herd game in 2011. It was due to imminent lightning strikes. Other than a college student charging the field and doing "water angels" on the WV logo, the evacuation was an effective one. So I speak from real-world experience.
How would this process be different if it were there was a bomb threat emergency? That's an interesting question. After all, there's a big difference between a bomb threat condition and a bomb threat emergency. It should not come as a shock to know that just because someone calls in a bomb threat or scrawls the word "bomb" with lipstick on a restroom mirror... That in itself, is not reason to stage a full-scale evacuation. Things like this have happen far more often than the public is aware. There's an obvious reason that you wouldn't launch a complete evacuation every time someone phones in a conventional bomb threat. PRECEDENT. Evacuation would set a terrible and unacceptable precedent.
For example, the following incident is public knowledge. A 73,000+ capacity crowd witnessed a Jan. 7, 2012 playoff game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
local headline - http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2012/01/lions_fan_admits_calling_in_bo.html
Sensing a loss, a disgruntled Lions fan from Jackson, MI phoned in 2 separate bomb threats. According to the indictment, he told the receptionist,
"I will blow up your building."
In the second message, which was recorded by police after the first threat was reported, he ordered,
"I want you to relay a message to the sideline: If your stupid Southern team keeps winning, there will be ... severe consequences, OK?").
There was no evacuation. A real-time evaluation of the threat took place and it was correctly determined that a full scale evacuation would be inappropriate. In June of 2012, Shawn Payton (who strangely enough, shared the same name as the Saints head coach suspended for Bountygate) pled guilty to a charge of transmitting threats to injure in interstate commerce. His punishment was 60 days of home confinement and 3 years of probation.
Now if there had been real-world actionable, verified intelligence that a bomb was in play, it would have required a different course of action. There's a reason I'm sharing this information. It's because the final decision to evacuate rests in the hand of the incident commander, police chief, stadium manager or whoever is ultimately in charge. There is one thing everyone in this position will agree on - whoever has the ability to make the final decision regarding evacuation will tell you the same thing - that you would NEVER evacuate a stadium by transmitting a mass text message. I DEFY you to find a single incident commander who would make the claim that evacuation instructions delivered through mass text messaging is a good idea. Because it isn't. Because it would irreparably alter the nature of the evacuation. It could very well create a mass panic. The delivery manner in which information is disseminated is just as important as the message itself. That's why you would utilize the PA system and in some cases if available, the jumbotron. To present a coherent, scripted message that cannot be misinterpreted. A clear, unified set of instructions is critical in maintaining an orderly evacuation process.
Standard evacuation protocol has been rendered inadequate by the ubiquitous presence of cell phones. Of course, there are a variety of more tangible ways to create panic and induce stampedes, but that's a matter you can explore of your own volition.
Considering that about 90% of the American adult population has a cellphone and an ever increasing number of those people use their cell phone to connect to the internet, a source for real time information... Considering the fact that over 6 billion text messages are sent per day in the U.S. Consider the rise in text-induced flash mobs, the prevalence of hacking, an escalation of bomb threats - I asked myself a simple question. "Does it all just stop there with flash mob pillow fights and choreographed dance routines, or will eventually people end up getting killed."
Think about the recent 2013 nightclub fire in Brazil.
Ringing cell phones symbolize chaos of Brazil nightclub fire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-aFe94vPh4
:51 - :58
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