The true-life confessions of a Permit Administrator.

As each each new summer approaches, I often wonder why I don't get a job doing something mindless and repetitive. If I were washing dishes, I wouldn't be worrying about every little thing that can go wrong at any one of the dozens of major events held in our Minneapolis parks each summer. Then the applications for events -- specially new ones -- start to pile up on my desk, and I inevitably get excited about a proposed idea. "This will work. It will be beautiful. People will love it. What a great idea!" Alas, I'm hooked for another year. But after the bombing in Atlanta during the '96 Olympics, concern -- and awareness -- about potential security problems is greater than ever before. While it may be impossible to prevent a single, premeditated, vengeful act, safeguards can be put into place that provide maximum security and the ability to respond to a crisis.

The event attracted upwards of 10,000 more people than had been anticipated. Desperate for parking, hundreds of people parked illegally along the highway adjacent to Fort Snelling Park and were subsequently towed. The confusion tied up traffic to the Minneapolis International Airport for several hours on the Fourth of July weekend. Tempers flared between event organizers and police. And that was just the first day.

On the second day, the rains came. When a fire truck shot across the soccer field to aid an injured player, it became mired in the muddy midfield. The largest tow truck I've ever seen was needed to rescue the fire truck; it was quite a spectacle.

The rain, however, didn't discourage the crowd, many of whom had been born and raised in hot, humid climates. This colorful cultural event, with 180 vendors selling everything from papaya salad and bratwurst to Hmong tapes and bolts of cloth, went on with most everyone oblivious to the problems and tension that had erupted.

Many groups -- large and small stage successful, safe events in our city parks with minimum disruption to the at large citizenry. The Lao Festival tested our ability to provide security to an extent that we had not anticipated. As permit administrator in the Special Services division of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, I worked very hard to ensure this experience was never repeated. That the tournament proceeded uninterrupted, that no one was hurt, and that the crowd remained largely unaware of the difficulties, testifies to the strength of our planning process.

Summer Fun

In Minneapolis, we have a short but intense summer season during which we natives try to pack in as many festivals, picnics, walks, runs, and outdoor weddings as possible. We also have an awardwinning, amazingly beautiful, and extensive urban park system. Outside agencies, organizations, and individuals have unlimited imagination when it comes to proposing the myriad events they wish to hold within that system.

Whether planned by park staff or not, every event held on Minneapolis park property reflects upon the park board. Can we be sure that nothing will go wrong? In a word, no. There are no guarantees, and even the event for which "we considered every little detail" there can arise unpleasant surprises. But safeguards can be put into place to ensure a fun, safe event. The importance of dear communication, strenuous planning, and good working relationships among all parties involved cannot be understated.

First Things First

In 1993, the Lao Festival was a new event to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. As with all new events to be held in Minneapolis parks, I personally review the application. Based on the details supplied in the application, I, along with staff, determine whether or not the proposed event is suitable for our parks. The trick, then, is to ask the right questions:

* What specific activities are planned?

* How many people will be attending the event?

* Will there be amplified music, tents, or food vendors?

* Has this event previously taken place elsewhere?

We need accurate and detailed information to know whether or not the planned activities are consistent with the park board's mission and conform to its ordinances and policies. We also need to know whether or not the proposed park area can accommodate the event. Events or promoters with a poor track record can expect to be scrutinized very closely.

Certain activities -- gambling, bonfires, and gas motorboats violate Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board ordinances and policies -- will automatically eliminate an event from consideration. Permits will likewise be denied for events at which alcohol will be sold or whose primary purpose is to sell merchandise or promote a product. Clearly, with just the board's policies and mission as a guide, we eliminate a host of potential security problems that go hand in hand with such things as bonfires and commerce.

Event planners whose permits have been denied may or may not go back to the drawing board to better comply with park board policies. The point, though, is that we communicate as clearly as possible about what is permitted in Minneapolis parks. This eliminates most of the headaches that misunderstandings can create.

In reviewing the application for the Lao Festival, two potential problems surfaced. In previous years, the festival had been held in St. Paul's Como Park, a large and beautiful urban park, surrounded by residential areas, where parking had been an issue. The other snag had to do with money. St. Paul had provided police presence for the event at no cost. In Minneapolis, the cost for our park police is always charged to the event. Sixteen officers at $25 an hour for 12 hours for two days adds up to nearly $10,000. Such a figure can be daunting and has deterred or otherwise discouraged more than one event planner. (In addition, the Lao Festival would be responsible for the repair of the truck-damaged soccer field totaling $1,117.)

We were concerned about the numbers, but based on what we were told by event planners, and on reported numbers of previous Lao Festival attendees, we were reasonably confident in our attendance estimate for the '93 festival.

Fort Snelling Park, the proposed site for the Lao Festival, sits in the middle of a state park and is surrounded by a military complex. Decidedly not in a residential area, it also boasts several large parking lots adjacent to its athletic fields. Parking, it appeared, could be worked out. When St. Paul offered financial support to help offset tile added costs, planning for the event could continue.

Once an event has been accepted as well suited to our parks, park staff meet with event organizers to lay out requirements and expectations. We go over everything from fees and insurance to event layout and a clean-up plan. This is also the time to begin discussing security needs.

In order to alert park staff to any concerns regarding the proposed events, we also ask the event planner to meet with the immediately affected neighborhoods to begin the feedback process. Normally the neighborhood is represented by the officially recognized resident group closest to the park where the event is planned. In the case of the Lao Festival, this meant meeting with representatives of the Army, Fort Snelling State Park, Fort Snelling History Center, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Bishop Whipple Federal Building, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Meanwhile, a copy of the application, along with all the initial information, is passed on to the park police. In Minneapolis, we are lucky enough to have our own park police; they are committed to seeing that the parks are warm and welcoming to all who choose to use them. Police expertise is vital when it comes to planning for safety and working out all the attendant details.

Needless to say, a good ongoing relationship with the police is crucial. While it has taken time, I have come to understand and appreciate the law-enforcement perspective. As park staff, we see events as an opportunity for our customers -the citizens m to enjoy our parks. At first I thought the police, in asking for high numbers of security staff, were throwing up roadblocks and being negative about proposed new events. Sometimes I felt we were at odds when it came to strategizing for events. Upon reflection, though, I realized that the park police were merely trying to maintain order in the parks while responding to problems that arise from special events. We may have different job descriptions, but our goals are the same. We both want the public to safely enjoy the parks and the events. This common ground makes it possible to work together effectively.

Because ownership in the success of an event is easier for those who are a part of the early planning process, we make it a point to bring the police and others concerned with safety in on the ground level. In this way, we build trust and a good working relationship. The 1993 Lao Festival would subject that relationship to the toughest of tests.

The Security Meetings

For large events like festivals, runs, or concerts, either park staff or the event planner calls another meeting to discuss safety concerns. `This will usually involve both city and park police, and it may be necessary to include other related departments such as the fire department, city traffic engineers, a private traffic-sign company, park maintenance, and mass-transportation companies. It is always to our advantage to develop and groom ongoing relationships with people from each of these departments. If we can establish this from the start, it can make things a lot easier in the future.

For extremely large events, such as the Olympic Torch Run or the John Tesh concert, the security team meets at least once a month beginning one year prior to the event. In the case of the Lao Soccer Tournament and Festival, the neighborhood group and law-enforcement personnel met on a monthly basis for five months to plan for the festival.

At the initial security meeting, the event promoter or planner walks through the event from setup to teardown. Each department identifies its concerns and discusses how best to meet the challenges and resolve the difficulties. Having all the security and safety agencies together in the same room allows for an open exchange of ideas. Traffic engineers work with police and electronic-signage companies to divert traffic to areas around the event, hoping to avoid monumental traffic jams. They even plan for bad weather, which is always the wild card in Minneapolis. Procedures for what to do in the event of lightning, a tornado, or other extreme weather must be discussed and incorporated into the planning.

Police officers discuss who can best provide security, first aid, and traffic control. They figure out which, if any, intersections need to be closed.

The crucial question revolves around the number of safety staff needed for the event itself. These individuals may come from the ranks of on- or off-duty police, police reserves, or from private security companies. We do have a rule of thumb for figuring out the number of police officers needed for an event that requires security. It is the same ratio used for port-o-potties: two for every 1,000 attendees.

Many variables, however, can alter this formula. A crowd of 5,000 at a church service in the morning, for example, requires far fewer officers than would an outdoor evening concert with the same number of attendees.

For the major Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Festival in Minneapolis, we expect 50,000 people on the first day and 100,000 on the day of the parade. Yet, a mere 15 volunteer police officers work each day of the event. This event is so well run and incident free that this seemingly small number of police officers has proven to be more than adequate.

Crowd size, type of event, track record, even the working relationship with the promoter can all affect the number of police assigned to any given event. Experience, however, is the best teacher in analyzing an event and determining how many security staff will be needed.

We anticipated a crowd of 8,000 at the Lao Festival. We went with the straight formula, and 16 park police officers were assigned. These were supplemented with volunteers for the parking lots.

An event such as our annual Twin Cities Marathon attracts a similar number of people, but they are spread out all along the route. Security staff are needed almost exclusively to man the numerous closed intersections along the route. The 17 officers that work this event cannot begin to cover all the barricades, and they are supplemented with trained race volunteers. To figure out just who will do what as we move along in our planning process, we break the event down into its component parts: traffic control, overnight security, food and beverage concession, and crowd control. The whole group discusses each category and as signs an agency, specifying the required number of staff.

Costs are then attached to the various assignments. Because of the potential expense, the question of security can create a lot of tension. While we cannot compromise or cut corners when it comes to security, we try to do whatever we can to provide services as economically as possible. To help minimize costs, volunteers can help with control but always need to be backed up by uniformed personnel.

Communication at an event cannot be left to chance; it must be on the security-meeting agenda. We decide who will provide the radios and what channel everyone will use.

We must also designate the lead agency for security at the event. This can be very confusing when several different jurisdictions are involved. Usually, the lead agency will be the owner of the property on which the event is scheduled.

Last but not least, large festivals need a communication center so that staff from different agencies can find supplies (radios, water, first aid) and each other. It acts as the gathering place during events for roll call, impromptu problem-solving discussions, and updates.

At the close of the security meeting, everyone exchanges contact numbers, and we confirm the names of those who will be on-call during the event.

Showtime 

I insist that someone from Special Services attends every event. This is key in making sure that what was decided upon ahead of time is implemented and that it is appropriate to the event. On the morning of the event, all staff meet at the designated location to review plans, hand out radios, and discuss any last-minute changes. Often, the actual festival, run, or tournament needs something that was not anticipated. Inclement weather can also dictate big changes in plans.

Frequently, planners make changes or requests that require on-the-spot decisions by park staff and security personnel. Remembering to contact the appropriate person regarding any changes is very important. Courtesy may seem like a small detail, but it can prevent hard feelings and mistrust. It also maintains those communication channels and working relationships we've striven to develop.

At the Lao Festival, when it became clear that we were being overwhelmed with unplanned numbers, we had to make changes. First, we pulled the officers who were scheduled to work the athletic events off the fields and assigned them to the task of decongesting traffic. Second, as the traffic on Highway 55 en route to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport became more and more snarled, we called the Highway Patrol. Finally, staff arranged to meet three times each day in order to try to stay on top of the problems caused by the weather and parking.

The Lao Festival difficulties also called for creative use of staff. The manager of Fort Snelling Golf Course directed overflow parking from her golf cart while Special Services staff helped direct traffic.

At a small event, the Special Services park staff touch base with the event planner and police officer on site to see that everything is going as planned. Here, the police act as the communication link between event organizers and Special Services staff. This is important because the Special Services staff often has several events to catch on the same day. At events with no security assigned, staff give the event organizer a beeper or cell-phone number and the park police number to call for non-emergency problems. The event organizer calls 911 in case of an emergency.

Whether an event is big or small, we take notes detailing what went wrong, what went right, and what could have been done better. We encourage all agencies involved to do the same. These notes become the basis for the evaluation.

Wrap-Up

Last, but far from least, when the big event has come and gone and everyone has had a chance to rest up and look back, it is a good time to evaluate. It's a good idea to send thank-you notes to everyone who was involved. Evaluations may take place in a formal meeting or over the phone. Some evaluation sessions may even become social events. However it happens, park staff, police, interested or concerned citizens and neighbors, and all the planners and agencies involved compare notes -- all those ideas about what went well and what needs to be done differently. This feedback serves to inform any necessary future planning and future permit requirements.

What could we have done differently in the case of the Lao event? Had they applied for a permit the following year, we would have required busing from remote parking areas. To keep the number of attendees down, we would also have limited the number of events going on at any given time during the tournament.

As it turned out, the Lao Festival planners went back to St. Paul, but they had made some changes. Residential streets were blocked off to everyone except neighborhood residents. Busing from park-and-ride locations was required to cut down on the number of cars.

More recently, during the 1997 Twin Cities Marathon, we had unexpected problems with motorists. Many of them, on their way to church, were upset at not being able to cross Minnehaha Parkway, several miles of which were being used as part of the race route. One woman actually drove right onto the course, defying the barricade, the police officer, and the trained race volunteer, endangering runners and disrupting the run. At our post-event debriefing and evaluation, we brainstormed about how we could prevent such trouble from recurring. More and better signs directing people to open intersections, greater efforts in alerting citizens ahead of time about where they won't be able to get through, and a map with alternate routes that can be handed to frustrated motorists are all ideas that surfaced and can be implemented next year.

The big question still looms: Can anything guarantee an event will go off without a hitch? Probably not. What is certain is that solid preplanning and good relationships with the security experts and all those who plan and host the event will provide the best safeguards. This ensures that public safety is just as important as entertainment in planning the event. It's also the best recipe for a good night's sleep.