Sometimes it takes a worst-case scenario to realize that prevention is often the best cure.
A fire that broke out on the morning of July 2 at Peking University Gymnasium, the table tennis venue for the 2008 Olympic Games, tore through 1,000 sqm of the building and destroyed part of its roof. It took more than 100 firemen and 17 fire trucks to bring the fire under control.
The bright side of the disaster, though, was that it came as a rude awakening, raising alarm bells over the potential risks facing the venues some 400 days before the opening of the Games.
For the organizers of the Games, they must ensure no such disasters strike again at Olympic venues, most of which will be completed by the end of the year; and, if they do occur, they should be dealt with effectively and the damage minimized. Both call for meticulous contingency planning well in advance.
One day after the fire a top Olympic organizer made an inspection visit to Wukesong baseball field, during which he reportedly stressed the importance of following operational procedures to guard against, and prevent, fire outbreaks.
At the construction site of the field, a fire truck and firemen were on standby around the clock, a precaution that won praise from the senior official.
Meanwhile, Chaoyang District, which is home to most of the Olympic venues, has planned a mass pledge by thousands of police officers, security personnel and volunteers in early August for a safe and glitch-free Olympics. In a show of force and readiness, the local firemen will parade at the rally and their rescue dogs are expected to demonstrate skills such as jumping through fire rings, according to information on the official website of the city's firefighting bureau.
The district firemen have analyzed the risks of Olympic venues, and designated hospitals and hotels as well as surrounding areas in a radius of 400m. Beijing has said it plans to establish 26 temporary fire stations near Olympic venues and firemen can be at the scene of a fire in five minutes.
Olympic organizers and city officials are also working on other contingency plans to avoid or minimize potential risks besides fires both inside and outside the venues.
According to organizers, project managers have documented emergency responses to as many as 300 to 400 crisis scenarios at each venue, ranging from a fire alarm to a spectator suffering from heatstroke, or even an athlete who has forgotten to bring their competition equipment.
In rainy Hong Kong, host of the equestrian events next August, organizers say they have already considered the use of four-wheel drive vehicles if an ambulance were to get stuck in muddy grass.
After the plans for all the foreseeable scenarios have been drawn up, the venue managers will use computer-based or real-life simulations to resolve the best-possible responses.
At the city level, the government has been working towards a "seamless" system of emergency responses to health, fire, traffic, earthquake and other cases of contingency of greater magnitude.
The Good Luck Beijing series of test events slated for July and August in the city will provide an ample opportunity to validate or readjust the strategies and procedures of the contingency plans.
Beijing 2008 organizers say that some staff have studied the venue operations in the previous Olympic Games at Athens and Turin, as well as those at the last World Cup and the Doha Asian Games.
Only those staff who perform well, and pass the test of the "mock run" competitions this year, will be retained for next year.
Beijing will take no chances when it comes to risk management for its first-ever Olympics.
