Title: Incident Response Plan for Organizers
Author: Andrea Middleton
Published: October 22, 2019
Last modified: October 5, 2023

---

# Incident Response Plan for Organizers

## In this article

 * [Incident Response Plan Template](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/incident-response-plan-for-organizers/?output_format=md#incident-response-plan-template)
 * [Process for responding to a medical emergency or violence](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/incident-response-plan-for-organizers/?output_format=md#process-for-responding-to-a-medical-emergency-or-violence)
 * [Process for responding to incident reports](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/incident-response-plan-for-organizers/?output_format=md#process-for-responding-to-incident-reports)

[↑ Back to top](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/incident-response-plan-for-organizers/?output_format=md#wp--skip-link--target)

The following Incident Response Plan Template can be used by WordPress event organizing
teams to prepare for responding to on-site incident reports.

All WordPress community participants – including WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are 
casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. 
They’re one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach 
one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. [Learn more](https://central.wordcamp.org/about/).
and meetupMeetup Meetup groups are locally-organized groups that get together for
face-to-face events on a regular basis (commonly once a month). Learn more about
Meetups in our [Meetup Organizer Handbook](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/meetup-organizer/).
organizers, volunteers, speakers, and sponsors – are expected to to follow the [WordPress Community Code of Conduct](https://make.wordpress.org/handbook/community-code-of-conduct/).

**Check out the online WordPress Incident Response Team training:** [https://learn.wordpress.org/course/incident-response-team-training/](https://learn.wordpress.org/course/incident-response-team-training/)

As anyone can submit an incident report when they see something happen, this training
is for any WordPress community member who would like to be prepared to help their
fellow community members in submitting an incident report. This training, especially
the workshop on taking incident reports, will be particularly helpful for WordCamp
organizers who want to know what to do in case of a Code of ConductCode of Conduct“
A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities
or proper practices of an individual party.” – [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_conduct)
violation.

We strongly recommend that all members of your WordCamp’s First Response Group and
Backup Response Group (described below) complete the [online Incident Response Team training](https://learn.wordpress.org/course/incident-response-team-tra).

## 󠀁[Incident Response Plan Template](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/incident-response-plan-for-organizers/?output_format=md#incident-response-plan-template)󠁿

**Situations you might respond to:**

 * Verbal altercation
 * Medical emergency
 * Physical altercation
 * Threats to physical safety
 * Intimidation and harassment
 * Acts of nature

**First Response Group (prepared to take reports and handle issues on site, these
people are your safety team)**

 * Name
 * Name

**Backup Response Group** **(organizers with on-site commitments, but who can be
available as needed)**

 * Name
 * Name

**Contact List**

 * Telephone numbers or other

**Information to provide to volunteers so they can report issues:**

 * Clear direction on how & where to contact organizers

**Information to provide to venue:**

 * Ways to reach organizers/safety team

**Information to provide to public:**

 * Instructions on how to find volunteers to go on website:
    - If you are experiencing an emergency, please prioritize your safety! If you
      are uncomfortable and/or need assistance in any way, please find a volunteer
      and ask them for help. We are the helpful people in (IDENTIFYING MARKS/CLOTHES)
      that say “Volunteer” or “Organizer” on the back. 
 * Evacuation routes (post on day of website)

## 󠀁[Process for responding to a medical emergency or violence](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/incident-response-plan-for-organizers/?output_format=md#process-for-responding-to-a-medical-emergency-or-violence)󠁿

**If there is an incident where there is a clear and present danger, take the following
steps: **

 1. Ensure your personal safety.
 2. Call the venue’s emergency line or the local emergency services (ambulance, police)
    for help.
 3. Ensure all parties are safe and have access to medical services if needed.
 4. If possible, collect the name(s) and contact info for anyone receiving emergency
    medical services at the event.
 5. Follow up by sharing with the WordPress Global Community TeamGlobal Community Team
    A group of community organizers and contributors who collaborate on local events
    about WordPress — monthly WordPress meetups and/or annual conferences called WordCamps.’
    s incident response squad by emailing [reports@wordpress.org](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/incident-response-plan-for-organizers/reports@wordpress.org?output_format=md)
    or filling out [the incident report](https://central.wordcamp.org/incident-report/).

## 󠀁[Process for responding to incident reports](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/incident-response-plan-for-organizers/?output_format=md#process-for-responding-to-incident-reports)󠁿

If you need to take a report about an incident that may violate the [code of conduct](https://make.wordpress.org/handbook/community-code-of-conduct/),
remember to maintain confidentiality at all times.

 1.  Inform people on the organizing team that someone has reported a problem, while
     protecting the reporter’s confidentiality. 
 2.  To take a report, find a quiet place and if possible, ask another organizer to
     join you. If you have any potential conflict of interest in taking the report (
     such as if any person involved in the report works at the same company as you),
     ask another member of the safety team to do so for you. 
 3.  Ask if the person would like to make a formal code of conduct report. Do not make
     any promises as to how reports will be handled, but let them know that the safety
     team will make every effort to protect the reporter’s confidentiality and safety.
 4.  If they do not want to make a formal report, you can ask if they would like to
     make the report anonymous. If they still do not want to make a formal report, 
     the best you can do is to help them feel safe and heard while at the event.
 5.  If they are making the report, ask them to describe the incident. Items that would
     be helpful include:
 6.   * Identifying information for any alleged harasser(s)/witnesses/people involved
      * Reporter’s name and contact information so that we can follow up
      * Time and date of incident + time and date of the report
      * Place of incident
      * Summary of incident
      * Names of other people involved
 7.  Depending on the severity of the report, you may need to notify emergency services.
     Make sure to note this in the report.
 8.  After you have gathered information, thank the reporter.
 9.   * If appropriate, you can ask if there is anything else you can do to help make
        them feel safe (for example, finding a friend of theirs to stay with them, 
        or giving them a private space to sit in). 
      * Let them know that you will be sharing the report with the incident response
        team, and that we will follow up after reviewing. 
      * If they are making the report anonymously, you can reassure them that we will
        do everything we can to make sure their name is anonymous. 
 10. Follow up by sharing with the WordPress Global Community Team’s Incident Response
     Team by emailing [reports@wordpress.org](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/incident-response-plan-for-organizers/reports@wordpress.org?output_format=md)
     or filling out [the incident report](https://central.wordcamp.org/incident-report/),
     especially if confidentiality is required.

First published

October 22, 2019

Last updated

October 5, 2023

[  Previous: The Process of Transitioning Out a WordCamp Organizing Team Member](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/the-process-of-transitioning-out-a-wordcamp-organizing-team-member/)

[  Next: Backup Plans](https://make.wordpress.org/community/handbook/wordcamp-organizer/planning-details/backup-plans/)