‘See something, say something’: Security a top priority for Portland Rose Festival

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – Several Portlanders are heading downtown this weekend to get their fill of fried food and rides at the Portland Rose Festival, which has been stocked with plenty of security guards and officers to keep folks safe.

The security crew will remain on site 24 hours a day throughout the weekend. Richard Jarvis with the Portland Rose Festival Foundation says security is an important focus as Portland works to reignite its downtown core.

“We have a great partnership with our government partners, city partners, the Bureau of Emergency Management – we work very closely with them and all of the police,” Jarvis said. “We plan out well ahead with all of those people and we’re in touch with them year-round about safety issues and concerns.”

The CityFair does not have metal detectors, but there are bag checks at the two main entrances. There are also multiple emergency exits around the grounds, which are padlocked or zip tied with guards at each post.

KOIN 6 asked Rose Festival organizers to clarify any safety protocols for if a shooting or other emergency were to occur near or inside the fair.

“We treat it like you would anywhere else in the world. If you hear gunshots: See something, say something,” Jarvis said. “If people feel like they’re in danger, we have security here who will respond quickly to things. If something happens out there, we try to react like we’re prepared to react, but who knows…We try to prepare for all contingencies.”

Beyond security measures, Rose Festival officials say they’re also stressing heat safety and hydration as hot, sunny temperatures are expected to continue throughout the weekend. It’s a major change from last year’s rainy Rose Festival.

Organizers are also looking for volunteer support for the next three weeks.

“It takes a community to celebrate a community, and one thing we could really use a lot more support with right now is volunteer support,” Jarvis said. “The more volunteers we have here, the safer this place is.”

The festival is running through June 11 with plenty of events to come. If you’re interested in attending or volunteering as they look to boost those numbers , head to the Portland Rose Festival website .

Stay with KOIN 6 for further coverage of the Rose Festival.

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