Las Vegas Crowd Control and Security

Las Vegas Event Control Control and Security
Crowd Management and Accident Prevention

Las Vegas is a world-class destination for events: conferences, expos, festivals, concerts, sporting events and more. In fact, just last year Las Vegas received over 40 million visitors. Now with the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao boxing match at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this Saturday night, May 2nd — record crowds are expected.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported that virtually all 150,000 hotel rooms in the city were sold for fight weekend. Las Vegas potentially stands to receive about 300,000 visitors this weekend, the second largest visitor crowd after New Years Eve which typically draws over 325,000 visitors.

With the crowds of people flocking to the Las Vegas Strip, especially to the Garden Arena at MGM Grand which seats 16,800, naturally with it comes increased security concerns. A history of high-profile acts of violence have occurred during big sporting events in Las Vegas and unprecedented security measures are to be in place in Las Vegas for this megafight weekend. In addition to the heightened security measures, MGM Grand has cancelled all regular shows at the property (like Cirque du Soleil’s “KÁ”) Saturday night in an effort to reduce congestion and to use theaters for closed-circuit viewing parties. In fact, Las Vegas Metro Police would rather have people stay home and watch the boxing match via pay-per-view instead of adding to the crowds expected on the Strip.

State, federal and local police along with fire, tourism, fight officials and hotel personnel are working together to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of people. Crowd management and crowd control measures are critical for events that are expected to draw large crowds. If you are a business-owner, a tourist visiting Las Vegas, or a local around town this weekend, try to do your best to avoid congested areas and be prepared for potential crowd-related accidents.

Tips On How To Prepare and Handle Crowd-Related Incidents
1. Business Owners in Las Vegas

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) Crowd Management Safety Guidelines, employers are responsible for providing their workers with safe and healthy workplaces. OSHA encourages employers to adopt effective safety and health management systems to identify and eliminate work-related hazards, including those caused by large crowds like retail sales events, etc. The OSHA guidelines detail out how to plan before, during and after the event and also what to do during an emergency situation. For example:

  • Do not restrict, block or lock exit doors
  • Know in advance who to call for emergency medical response
  • Keep first-aid kits and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) available, and have personnel trained in using AEDs and CPR onsite
  • Instruct employees, in the event of an emergency, to follow instructions from authorized first responders, regardless of company rules
2. Visitors to Las Vegas

It is the responsibility of hotels and casinos to keep all visitors and customers reasonably safe from accidents during their stay. Out on the strip and high tourist areas, Las Vegas Metro Police utilize a number of resources to ensure the safety of visitors such as: Patrol Units, Bicycle Patrols, Mounted Patrol Units, Motorcycle Traffic Units, Homeland Security Bureau and Aviation/Air Support.

While in high traffic, highly crowded areas, be mindful of where you need to go and the manner to get there. If you can avoid the more congested areas, whether driving or walking, you should do so. In the event you are caught in a big crowd and an incident occurs, take note of the following local Las Vegas emergency telephone numbers provided by Metro Police:

  • Emergency Only: Dial 9-1-1
  • Non-Emergency: (702) 828-3111
  • Crime Stoppers, if you see a crime please report it. You can remain anonymous: (702) 385-5555
3. Las Vegas Locals

As Metro Police has advised, if you can, it’s best to stay at home this fight weekend. Find a friend who’s having a viewing party, pay for the fight on pay-per-view and watch it in the comfort of your own home. If you work or live on or near the Strip and must be out in these high traffic areas, get to your destination as direct as possible or take alternative routes to steer clear of busy, crowded hotels, bars, and streets lined with party-goers. Metro Police emergency numbers for locals are as follows:

  • Emergency Only: Dial 9-1-1
  • Non-Emergency, local phone use only: Dial 3-1-1
  • Crime Stoppers, if you see a crime report it. You can remain anonymous: (702) 385-5555
Las Vegas Event Safety

Las Vegas is a top destination for large events known to draw record crowds. From trade shows and conventions to award shows and sporting events, no matter what big event you may be involved with or attend, be prepared and keep these crowd safety tips in mind for a safe and positive experience.