By Col Kanwal Kishore, SM, CPP®, CBCP®

The MI team had been under a bit of a cloud, their losses mounting as if they were caught in a (early) monsoon. Without loosing hope we decided to see the match.🏏
Mumbai’s supporters wore their team colors proudly, a sea of blue with occasional specks of purple – fans showing support for KKR. As the game commenced, the atmosphere electrified. Every run scored by MI was met with a deafening roar, while every wicket taken by the KKR team brought about a collective sigh. Sadly, we lost the game, but as they say ‘𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳’. 🏆
While the crowd focused on the match, my eyes scanned for emergency exits and evaluated the stadium’s security measures. I wondered, as I often do in large gatherings, how many others considered these precautions? 🤔

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬:-
🎯𝘈𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺: This helps in avoiding the rush and allows to familiarize with the venue.
🎯𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨: Knowing where to park and planning your exit strategy.
🎯𝘉𝘦 𝘏𝘺𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥: Ensure staying hydrated and energized without missing any action.
🎯𝘜𝘴𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: Don’t forget our sun hats/sunscreen. It’s easy to get sunburned when you’re caught up in the fun.
🎯𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘕𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴: Locate washrooms and medical facilities. Knowing these are close by gives us peace of mind, especially with children.
🎯𝘔𝘢𝘱 𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘌𝘹𝘪𝘵 𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴: Identify the nearest exits from seats, this ensures to exit quickly and safely in an emergency.
🎯𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘢 𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵: With the bustle of large crowds, it’s easy to get separated, set a meeting point that everyone remembers, just in case.
🎯𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘥: It’s our lifeline in managing any unexpected situations.
🎯𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: Dress according to the weather and wear comfortable shoes since there might be a lot of walking or standing.
🎯𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘢𝘳 𝘒𝘦𝘺𝘴 𝘚𝘢𝘧𝘦: Use lanyards for keys and carry wallets in secure, zippered pockets.
🎯𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘙𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴: Respect and adhere to the venue’s rules. This prevents any trouble with security team who take pains to ensure everything is run smoothly.

Stadiums and arenas are meant for fun and entertainment, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺-𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦.