Astroworld: Event staff told to refer to dead concertgoers as ‘Smurfs’

Festival’s emergency response plan told staff to ‘never use the term dead or deceased over the radio’

Astroworld Festival staff were instructed to refer to dead concertgoers as ‘Smurfs’ in the event of a fatality, according to a leaked safety and emergency response plan.

The 55-page document, obtained by CNN, informs staff how to respond to robberies, active shooters, extreme weather, terror threats and other hazardous scenarios.

Under a section headed ‘traumatic injury resulting in death’, the event plan instructed staff to notify supervisors of a fatality using the codeword ‘Smurf’.

“Never use the term “dead” or “deceased” over the radio,” the manual states.

Eight people died and hundreds more were injured when a deadly crowd surge occurred as festival founder and headline act Travis Scott performed just after 9pm on Friday night.

Concertgoers were trampled on and crushed during the surge, while others passed out and only survived after being lifted over the crowd.

Staff hired to work security at the festival have spoken of a chaotic and dysfunctional event, with many turning up on the morning of the festival without receiving any training.

The document, titled Astroworld’s 2021 Event Operations Plan and written by Texas concert promoter Scoremore, contains detailed advice for severe weather events such as tornadoes, high heat and winds.

It contains separate sections on how to handle wind speeds of 25mph, 30mph, 35mph, and 40mph, as well as what to do in the event of an earthquake, or lightning storm.

However, information on what to do in case of “multiple casualty incidents” is limited to just one page.

It doesn’t directly address what festival staff should do in the event of a crowd surge like the one seen on Friday night.

The stage at Astroworld on Friday (Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

The security plan underscores the importance of being prepared for a mass casualty event.

“Based on the site’s layout and numerous past experiences, the potential for multiple alcohol/drug related incidents, posible evacuation needs, and the ever-present threat of a mass casualty situation are identified as key concerns.”

It’s unclear if the advice to use the word Smurf to describe a fatality was followed during Friday’s deadly crowd surge.

In the case of a death, the operations guide said staff should also request additional support, create a perimeter around the scene and take try to take witness statements.

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against Scott and the promoters Live Nation alleging that insufficient safety measures were put in place.