By – Dan Thompson

Saturday night’s stage collapse in Indiana came as horrifying news to anyone who has worked in our industry. As I write this, the figures are staggering – 40 injured, and 5 dead. The fear of statistics such as these have kept any of us who’ve ever flown a lighting truss or PA system awake at night on more than one occasion. We all dread the possibility of an accident, and given the unpredictable nature of outdoor events, make our best laid plans for safety, looking out for the well being of the public, the talent, and our own people.

Yet, the weather driven collapse of the stage at the Indiana State Fair stands as a stark reminder that what we do for a living, and the manner in which we do it, can carry serious, even catastrophic consequences for our clients and their attendees. It would be premature to second guess the decision making process on the Indianapolis site; we’ve all experienced sudden, violent turns in the weather before. Sometimes, there simply isn’t time.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. In the aftermath of such a tragedy, it falls to each of us to reflect upon our approach to rigging and structural plans, especially for outdoor events. We should reevaluate our practices, the status or our equipment, and the training of our people. Finally, and most difficult, we should be prepared to offer our expertise to a client who might bear the pressure of a decision to delay or cancel an event due to inclement weather.

At Alford Media, safety has been the most important priority in our staging approaches. We maintain our equipment constantly, ensuring it to be in the best possible condition on showsite. Our people are trained and certified. The dual blessing of Terry St. Peters serving as both head of our Lighting Dept. and leading our company’s safety effort is not accidental. We make it a point to be as well prepared as we can be before the rig leaves our dock.

Sometimes, there simply isn’t any warning. This may well prove to be the case in Indiana. We mourn the tragedy, pray for the victims and our colleagues, and work as a leader in the industry to understand just what did occur, in order to prevent it happening in the future.