MidMo PrideFest releases emergency protocols for event safety

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia's MidMo PrideFest weekend began on Saturday and will continue through Sunday night until 10 p.m., and staff said they are anticipating 8,000 people to attend.

The emergency plans for the event were made by festival president Janet Davis, and went through a line of approval from the City of Columbia to law enforcement.

Each day, there will be 20 to 25 staff members, including bartenders, security, and event organizers, as well as 75 volunteers, according to the festival's emergency action plan documents.

The documents include an emergency plan for disruptive and threatening behavior.

This plan is a nine-step process and walks staff through de-escalation, which includes being sympathetic and letting the person speak, being communicative, and utilizing teamwork in a threatening situation.

"The escalation is a super huge component of what we do," said Davis. "And if you're just able to talk to people, people can talk back."

Most fairgoers don't realize how much planning and coordination goes into the weekend to keep the festival running smoothly and attendees safe, according to Davis.

"I think that it's really important, and it's become a really big part of our event that people may not realize it's part of our event because we've built it into our plan," said Davis. If you think ahead of time that nothing is not solvable, everything can be fixed, everything can be worked out. It makes things so much more relaxed and so much better handled."

There have not been any instances of protests towards the PrideFest, but Davis said if a situation were to happen, as long as protesters are doing it safely and not inside the fairgrounds, it is their legal right.

"They have every right to be there and have their thoughts as the same as we have our right to be here and have our thoughts," said Davis. "As long as they are abiding by the law, we will do the same, and they're welcome to protest however they like."

Davis said the festival hired its own security team to patrol the event and its entrances and exits, but local law enforcement will also stop by occasionally to check in on the festival. She said that with the fire department's location being just a few blocks away the festival grounds feel safe.

"They actually come through for their lunch and check on us while they have a free moment," said Davis. "We never feel like we're not well taken care of, they are so good to us."

At previous festivals, Davis said there has never been an incident that required law enforcement involvement.

We are in such a lovely area. We're very protected by the district here," said Davis. "I think we're very lucky to have a festival; we don't have a lot of instances where we might need something like that."

If an emergency were to happen, every staff member would be in communication via email chain, text chain, and walkie-talkie chain messages.

Staff members are assigned to a specific street and area, and are in close communication for the safety of the fairgoers, according to Davis.

Davis said the reason they host PrideFest in September is because of the opportunity for more people to come. She said a survey was conducted to ask people how they felt about moving PrideFest later in the year, and it was widely accepted.

University of Missouri organizations and groups had booths set up at the event, and Davis said that without the date change, not only would the festival have fewer people, but over 35,000 students who attend MU would not be able to go.

"We want to wait every year so the students get acclimated and have the opportunity to find out where we are when we are and come and be a part of our festival," said Davis.

Davis adds that the festival also gives students a chance to attend a festival safely, especially if they don't have that option in their home.

"20 minutes outside of Columbia. We're not so diverse, we're not so lucky, and we're not so safe," said Davis. "So every student that comes through this city or through these gates knows that where they may not be able to be out free and welcome where they're from 20, 30, 40 minutes or even an hour, they are definitely welcome here."