If you’ve just been told by your local authority that your community event needs to go before a Safety Advisory Group (SAG), it’s completely normal to feel a sudden spike in anxiety.
A SAG meeting sounds intimidating. You walk into a room (or jump on a Teams call) and face representatives from the Police, Fire Service, Ambulance Service, Highways, and Environmental Health. It can feel like an interrogation.
Grab a coffee and take a breath. A SAG isn’t there to cancel your event—they just want to make sure nobody gets hurt. Having spent over 7 years working directly inside council event management, I’ve sat on both sides of that table. Here is how to walk into your SAG meeting fully prepared and walk out with their total approval.
1. Never Go In Without a Draft Event Management Plan (EMP)
The biggest mistake you can make is turning up to a SAG with just “ideas.” The emergency services don’t want ideas; they want documentation. Bring a structured Event Management Plan that covers your site map, crowd capacities, fire safety, and medical provision. Even if it’s a working draft, it proves you respect their time.
2. Speak Their Language (Risk Mitigation)
Police and blue-light services care about three things: crowd flow, alcohol management, and emergency access. When they ask a question, answer with your mitigation. Instead of saying, “We’ll have volunteers keeping an eye on things,” say, “We have designated marshals trained to keep emergency access routes clear at all times.”
3. Treat Highways as Your Biggest Priority
The highways team on a SAG is notoriously tough. If your event impacts local roads, bring a complete Traffic Management Plan. Show them how you plan to manage parking, where your signage goes, and whether you are using accredited CSAS officers for active road closures.
Pro Tip: If you can hand the SAG a legally watertight RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement) created by an experienced event team, 90% of their questions vanish before they even ask them.
Need help prepping for your next SAG meeting? At Captain Events, we build SAG-ready event compliance packages that satisfy even the strictest local authorities. [Drop us a line today—let’s get your event approved.]