Contingency planning

Contingency planning
Type	Core safety practice
Purpose	To establish clear, actionable plans for medical emergencies, incapacitation, or death during a BDSM scene.
Key principle	Hope for the best, plan for the worst.
Related concepts	Risk assessment, Risk mitigation, Negotiation, End of life planning

Contingency planning is the process of creating a predefined set of instructions and actions to be carried out in the event of an accident, medical emergency, incapacitation, or fatality during a BDSM scene. It is the practical acknowledgment of a core Risk‑Aware Consensual Kink (RACK) principle: that despite all mitigation, things can go catastrophically wrong. A well‑constructed contingency plan does not dwell on morbidity; it provides a clear, rational roadmap for those left to respond, who will likely be in a state of shock and distress.

The scope of a contingency plan can range from minor (managing a small cut) to fatal (ensuring a deceased person's identity and wishes are communicated to the correct authorities and family). Every participant in a scene, but particularly the dominant and any designated spotter, must be familiar with the plan before play begins.

Plan formulation

A robust contingency plan answers a series of critical questions. These should be discussed during pre‑scene negotiation and, for ongoing dynamics, revisited periodically.

Triggers

What specific conditions activate the emergency plan? The plan must be clear about the threshold for action. Examples include:

• Medical emergency: Loss of consciousness, cessation of breathing, seizure, severe bleeding, chest pain, or any other acute medical event.
• Incapacitation: A participant becomes non‑responsive, incoherent, or unable to communicate their needs, even if the cause is not immediately life‑threatening (e.g., extreme dissociation, drug overdose).
• Psychological crisis: A severe panic attack, psychotic break, or traumatic flashback that renders the person unable to continue or care for themselves.
• Death: The ultimate trigger. The plan must clearly state how to confirm death (e.g., no pulse, no breathing after CPR has been initiated) and that emergency services must be called immediately, even if the scene involves illegal activities.

Contacts

• Primary contact: A trusted, kink‑aware friend who can be called to assist with a medical emergency, provide transport, or make decisions if the primary partner is incapacitated. This person should know about your kink involvement and be willing to act in a crisis.
• Secondary contact: A backup in case the primary contact is unreachable.
• Family notification: In the event of death or severe incapacitation, who has the authority to inform family members, and how should that be done? This is deeply personal and must be explicitly documented. If you do not want your biological family notified, your plan must designate who will handle your affairs and communicate with authorities.

Decision‑making authority

• Who has the ultimate authority to make medical, legal, and logistical decisions? This could be a single person (a designated agent) or a small committee. If a committee is used, its members must be clearly named, and a tie‑breaking mechanism should be established. This is particularly important if the dominant partner is also incapacitated or deceased.

Information disclosure

• What level of detail about the accident, the scene, and the participants' relationship is shared, with whom, and when? A plan might state: "Inform the primary contact immediately with full details. Inform my family only that I have been in an accident and am at X hospital, without specifying the nature of the scene unless legally required." Be aware that police and medical examiners may investigate a sudden death, and the scene may be subject to scrutiny.

Pre‑scene planning

Informing all participants in a scene how to respond to an emergency will reduce adverse outcomes. This is a non‑negotiable part of negotiation.

Medical condition disclosure

All participants must disclose any known medical conditions, allergies, medications, and substance use that could affect emergency treatment. This includes:

• Cardiac conditions (arrhythmias, hypertension)
• Neurological conditions (epilepsy, seizure disorders)
• Respiratory conditions (asthma, COPD)
• Diabetes
• Known drug allergies (especially to latex, lidocaine, and common emergency medications)
• Current medications (including dosage), especially blood thinners and psychiatric medications

This information should be written down, not just verbally shared, and kept in an accessible location (see Tamper‑resistant document below).

Remote check‑in

For scenes involving edgeplay, solo play, or meeting a new partner, schedule a check‑in time with a trusted friend. The protocol should include:

• The exact location of the scene (address, room number).
• The names and contact information of all participants.
• A description of the planned activities and their expected duration.
• A specific time at which the friend should expect a check‑in call or message.
• Clear instructions for what the friend should do if the check‑in does not occur: call multiple times, call the secondary contacts, and if still no response, call emergency services to perform a welfare check at the precise address.

Cell phone emergency features

Modern smartphones allow first responders to access critical medical information from a locked screen. All participants should configure this feature before the scene. At a minimum, the Medical ID or Emergency Information should include:

• Full name (and chosen scene name, if different)
• Date of birth
• Relevant medical conditions and allergies
• Current medications
• Emergency contacts: at least one kink‑aware person and, if the participant chooses, a family member
• Blood type (if known)

Tamper‑resistant document

A physical copy of the contingency plan should be placed in a sealed, tamper‑evident envelope or container that is visible and accessible in the play space. The outside of the envelope should be labeled clearly: "EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS – OPEN IF I AM UNRESPONSIVE."

The document inside should include:

• All the information from the medical condition disclosure section.
• The primary and secondary emergency contacts with phone numbers.
• Instructions for what to do in case of a medical emergency, incapacitation, or death.
• Any specific wishes regarding hospital care, life support, and organ donation (if known).
• Any relevant legal documents, such as a healthcare power of attorney.

Worst‑case planning

In the devastating event that a person dies during a kink scene, the immediate priorities are to call emergency services, initiate CPR if trained and appropriate, and secure the scene for any subsequent investigation. However, the aftermath extends far beyond the emergency response.

A comprehensive end of life planning document, prepared in advance, will help the deceased's social circle navigate the consequences while they are dealing with profound emotional trauma. This is a separate but closely related document that covers:

• A last will and testament.
• Instructions for the disposition of property, including kink gear, toys, and digital assets.
• Preferences for a funeral or memorial service, and whether the person wishes to be remembered openly within the kink community or discreetly.
• The designation of a trusted individual to handle their affairs (an executor), who may be different from the emergency contact.

The existence of such a plan is an act of profound care for the community. It prevents chaos, legal battles, and the unintentional outing of a deceased person to their vanilla family.

Consent and negotiation

The contingency plan itself is a subject of negotiation. Participants must agree on:

• The content of the plan.
• Who will hold the tamper‑resistant document and where it will be kept.
• Who is authorized to open the document and under what circumstances.
• The limits of confidentiality: all participants must understand that in a medical or legal emergency, some degree of disclosure to outsiders (paramedics, police) may be unavoidable. A contingency plan cannot prevent this; it can only manage the flow of information.

Known incidents

RACKWiki incident reports

Community‑submitted reports of emergency situations and how contingency plans succeeded or failed are collected at RACKWiki:Incident_reports/Contingency_planning. Editors are strongly encouraged to contribute anonymised experiences to build a real‑world knowledge base.

See also

• End of life planning
• Risk assessment
• Risk mitigation
• Negotiation
• OPSEC