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Amusement Park Emergency Procedures

While most visitors to amusement parks do not anticipate danger during their visit, knowing what to do should an emergency arise can help to prevent unnecessary injury and save lives. Most amusement parks follow a series of standard emergency procedures which are closely regulated by individual state public health and safety agencies.

  1. Weather-Related Emergency Procedures

    • In the event of a weather-related emergency such as serious storms or tornado warnings, most amusement parks operate under the premise of caution by shutting down rides until the danger of inclement weather has passed. In the event that the ride is in process when a storm hits, the ride is to be immediately brought to a complete stop and all parties are to be evacuated from the ride as quickly and safely as possible.

    Illness or Injury

    • Most amusement parks post notices throughout the park warning guests against riding on park attractions if the guest has a serious medical condition or is pregnant. However, most parks employ full time personnel who are trained in medical procedures such as CPR and first aid in case an injury or serious medical condition should arise. When necessary, these employees are trained to offer treatment to the injured party until an ambulance or appropriate medical professional arrives.

    Evacuation Procedures

    • While each park has its own policies when it comes to evacuation procedures, most parks issue evacuations by announcing the order to vacate the park and the reason for the evacuation over a park intercom system. In the event that the park must be evacuated due to fire, medical or police emergency, all rides must cease operations immediately and direct guests to the appropriate park exits. Should guests be unwilling or unable to leave, park security officers are usually called to help remove the guest from the facility.

    Malfunctioning Rides

    • Most amusement park rides are routinely inspected to ensure that they are safe and fully operational. In the rare event that a ride should malfunction, the ride is to be closed off to the public immediately until it can be properly repaired. If the ride should malfunction during the course of the ride while guests are on board, the ride is to be stopped as soon as it is reasonably possible to ensure safety and prevent injury. If necessary, emergency personnel such as local fire and police departments may be called in to help remove stranded passengers.

    Terrorist or Criminal Threat

    • In the event that an amusement park should receive notice of a terrorist or criminal threat against the park or are notified that the park must be evacuated for law enforcement reasons, most amusement parks operate under an immediate lock down policy. In the event that a lock down becomes necessary, all rides cease operation and an announcement is made that the park must suspend activity until the issue is resolved. Based on the nature of the emergency, guests may be evacuated with the assistance of local law enforcement or be required to stay put until the threat of danger has passed.

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