Master Plan Nashua Fire Rescue, NH
Mass Gatherings
Mass gathering events are planned each year across the city. Examples include sporting events, festivals,
parades, conventions, dedications, memorials, and occasionally high-profile meetings or visits by dignitaries.
In today’s environment, special events increase police, fire, and EMS workloads and may be considered
terrorist targets due to large concentrations of crowds, the symbolic nature of the event, high-profile
attendees, and increased media attention.
High concentrations of people can overwhelm first responders and compromise basic human services.
Treating these events as “planned emergencies” and using the national incident management systems for
planning and operating will allow for a rapid transition to emergency response should an incident occur
during the mass gathering.*®
The city has a robust downtown area that hosts parades, festivals, and other gatherings throughout the year.
These events were widely canceled or scaled-back as a result of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic but are
expected to resume when the pandemic is controlled. Some of Nashua’s traditional events include:
= Holiday Stroll «= Downtown Dinner & Movie series
« Taste of Downtown Nashua «= Summer Fun
» Restaurant Week « Farmers’ Market
Civil Disturbance
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines a civil disturbance is “a civil unrest activity such
as a demonstration, riot, or strike that disrupts a community and requires intervention to maintain public
safety.”
Civil unrest has doubled in the past decade as citizens protest issues ranging from economic hardship to
police brutality and political instability, according to the 2020 Global Peace Index.” The COVID-19 pandemic
could make things worse, according to Steve Killelea, founder of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP),
which annually publishes the index. “It’s likely that the economic impact of COVID-19 will magnify tensions
by increasing unemployment, widening inequality, and worsening labor conditions—creating alienation from
the political system and increasing civil unrest. We, therefore, find ourselves at a critical juncture, “Killelea
said.”
The United States Fire Administration offers guidance for responding to civil disturbances. Civil Disturbance
Management should include coordination of response activities, modifying operations based on perceived
threats or risk, and maintaining situational awareness.”®
16 Topic Collection: Mass Gatherings/Special Events. Retrieved from: https://asprtracie. hhs. gov/technical-resources/85/Mass-
Gatherings-Special-Events/o.
17 https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/news/civil-unrest….
18 https://www.usfa.fema.gov/operations/civil_unrest/operations.html.
fj Emergency Services
ESC) Consulting International 37
