Tactical defense expert offers safety tips for festival-goers ahead of big music weekend in Central Florida
Crowd control for festivals top of mind following Astroworld tragedy
Houston police detectives have launched a criminal investigation into the Astroworld Festival disaster, where eight people were killed and dozens of others hurt when the crowd surged toward the stage. We learn more about crowd control and what you should know if you plan to attend any upcoming festivals in Orlando.
ORLANDO, Fla. - While Houston police try to figure out what went so wrong that eight people were killed at the Astroworld Festival and 25 others were transported to the hospital with injuries, Central Florida is preparing for two major music festivals.
Houston police say some of their victims were trampled. That has FOX 35 asking a tactical defense expert how you can protect yourself at a big festival.
"Safety isn’t someone else’s responsibility. We all need to be able to be aware of our surroundings in large venues like that," said Renee Rose, of the Shaan Saar Krav Maga in Orlando.
Rose recommends maintaining personal space at events like these.
"If I find myself where my hands are pinned to my body and I’m not physically able to lift my hands without people coming up around my rib cage, that’s problematic. That’s an acute situation we want to start moving out of," Rose said.
If a crowd starts moving or rushing a stage, Rose says move in the general direction the crowd is moving in while trying to side-step toward a less crowded open area.
"We want to be able to move with the crowd, not towards the barriers, not towards something that’s going to smash us in," Rose said.
She said if you get stuck in the middle of a crowd rush, yelling doesn’t help. People won’t be able to hear you and you’ll just be wasting energy.
Rose’s other big safety tips for festivals and large events:
- Stay toward the outer area where it’s less crowded
- Avoid mosh pits
- Have your wits about you, limit substance use
- Stay standing