Panic at the Park!

While we may be a far cry from New York’s Greenwich Village or San Francisco’s Castro, Colorado has put its stamp on more than few LGBT firsts. “Dynasty” (set in Denver) featured Steven Carrington, one of the first gay characters on television; the “Former Sex Change Capital of the World” was in Trinidad; and we have a bar scene that drew hordes of homosexuals from across the country back in the 1970s. This year, Denver adds to that list by making PrideFest the first festival in Colorado to participate in America’s PrepareAthon!, a national emergency preparedness movement.

While you worry about where you’re going to get your next drink or meet your future ex, there’s an entire team planning for situations where shit may hit the fan. And while dehydration and heat exhaustion are the most common emergencies, here are a few “it could happen … ish” scenarios and how they might be handled, according to Daniel Nyquist (FEMA region VIII community preparedness officer) and Heather Camerer (Denver PrideFest events manager).

Scenario One: A freak Colorado wind is ripping through the area and stuff is flying everywhere!

Daniel:Late spring and early summer weather in Colorado can be unpredictable and unstable. The number one thing you can do to stay alert? Keep an eye on the sky. When you see a storm rolling in at an outdoor festival, start thinking about where you’ll seek shelter in the event that lightning, hail, or high winds develop. If you’re caught outside and can’t find a place to shelter indoors, find a low, flat location to lie down in and cover your head. Flying debris and lightning strikes are the biggest risks in situations like these. Avoid sheltering under tents or temporary structures because the risk of collapse in these conditions is high. Another risk that can come with severe spring and summer weather in Denver is street flooding. Never walk through moving water during a flash flood — even six inches of moving water can be deadly.

Scenario Two: An unidentified individual has left a suspicious package near in the middle of Civic Center Park and called in a bomb threat. 

Heather: Hosting a safe and secure festival is our top priority. We have a very strong partnership with Denver’s Office of Emergency Management and local law enforcement agencies and we all work proactively to prevent emergencies and protect the safety of our guests. In any situation where we think the safety and security of the festival may be compromised, we would work with these same agencies to determine the best course of action. In short, don’t panic. We’ve got this.

Scenario Three: A trashcan fire spread to a booth which spread to a tree and now the parks is a ablaze!

Daniel: You can definitely be saved from a wildfire! We generally don’t see wildfires in the urban core, but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibilities to see one in a park space. If you see any kind of fire break out during the festival, call 911. Don’t assume that someone else has already done it. In a scenario like this, Civic Center Park and the surrounding area would likely be evacuated, so pay attention to instructions from first responders and festival staff. It’s important to stay calm.

Scenario Four: A high-speed chase has made its way onto the parade route!

Heather: We work closely with the Denver Police Department in all aspects of our festival operations, including traffic management along the parade route. If an emergency situation like this were to arise, we would simply rely on guidance from our law enforcement partners.

Extreme emergencies are very rare, and ultimately a great PrideFest experience buckles down to the basics. We can’t stress enough that guests should take some common-sense actions like drinking plenty of water, wearing sunscreen, and drinking alcohol responsibly. Doing these simple things will help everyone to stay safe and have a great time. So be smart and essentially we can all have the best PrideFest ever! Well … at least until next year.