Safety at Pride

P R I D E W E E K

When producing events, the safety and security of our guests is Boston Pride’s number one priority. As the largest annual public celebration in New England, we host hundreds of thousands of members of our community at various venues, public and private, indoor and outdoor, small and large. The diversity of our crowds and the wide range of event characteristics yield a multitude of potential risks, from unexpected crowd movements to inclement weather, from vehicular accidents to threats of violence. Consequently, we have a duty to our community to implement measures necessary to minimize the impact of these risks to the attendees.

But let us be clear: Boston Pride is one of the safest celebrations in the country, with only one reported incident in the last 13 years.

To maintain such a stellar status in the public events world, Boston Pride takes security very seriously, at all levels. Each year, one member of our Board of Directors (currently President Sylvain Bruni) is designated as security coordinator. On the Boston Pride Committee, each event chair or area manager is charged with the supervision of safety and security measures for their respective activities. On our volunteer teams, all volunteers are apprised of security measures, and volunteers in key positions are specially trained. Occasionally, Boston Pride hires extra security to be a visible presence at our events.

Additionally, Boston Pride has worked hard over the last decade and a half to build strong relationships with law enforcement agencies, starting with the Boston Police Department (BPD). Our main points of contact at the BPD are Officer Javier Pagan, Liaison to the LGBT Community for Police Commissioner Evans, member of Gay Officers Action League of New England (GOAL), and recipient of the 2013 Boston Latin@ Pride Ejemplar Award, and Sergeant Beth Donovan, who serves as Special Events lead, with purview over Pride events. Leaders of Boston Pride have forged a productive relationship based on mutual trust and transparency, whereby any concern of Boston Pride or the BPD is immediately addressed in a constructive and caring approach.

Boston is fortunate to have an extremely supportive Police Department, which values our community and is committed to working with our organization to guarantee the safety and security of all event attendees. We are proud of our men and women in uniform who work hand-in-hand with Pride staff year after year. Such a relationship is rare in the Pride world, even in the United States.

Every year, typically in March or April, Boston Pride presents its plans to a city-wide meeting that assembles multiple municipal agencies, including those related to public safety: the BPD, the Boston Fire Department, Boston EMS, Parks & Recreation, the MBTA, and transportation representatives. At these meetings, Boston Pride details its emergency procedures, which must be validated by the City of Boston.

Boston Pride works hard each year to ensure a rapid, effective response to any situation that could arise, from heat strokes to acts of terrorism. But safety and security also rely on every attendee’s participation. We count on guests to alert us if something is or seems wrong. As the slogan goes, “If you see something, say something.”

Each year, Boston Pride works closely with local authorities to ensure that our annual celebrations remain among the safest in the United States. Credit: Marilyn Humphries.

150 | Boston Pride 2016

[S]afety and security also rely on every attendee’s participation. We count on guests to alert us if something is or seems wrong. As the slogan goes, “If you see something, say something.”

Safety and security measures:

✓ City-wide review of Boston Pride’s emergency management plan

✓ Pre-event security briefing of Pride staff

✓ Pre-event venue inspections

✓ Day-of-event security review and walkthrough with Pride staff

✓ Day-of-event venue inspections

✓ Crowd control training and certification from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for Boston Pride Committee members

✓ Safety manual and emergency management binder on site at all events

✓ Distribution of safety info sheets to event participants

✓ Roamers at events

✓ Crowd control and section leaders at the Boston Pride Parade

✓ Dedicated radio channels

✓ Red shirts for rapid visual identification of Pride staff

✓ Badges and other credentials for verification of identity and access control

✓ Training of Parade group marshals through four mandatory orientation meetings

✓ Information and education of our community through public messaging

✓ Emergency and medical tent with EMS staff at the Parade, Festival, and Block parties

Advice to our event attendees:

✓ Bring plenty of water and sunscreen

✓ Be cognizant of children and older adults

✓ Be mindful of pets’ needs

✓ Don’t run at vehicles in the Parade, and don’t let kids run at them

✓ If you see something, say something