Concert Security: Viva Las Vegas

Securing a concert in a parking lot packed with 50,000 revelers is a challenge

This year, Vegas is celebrating its 100th birthday.On July 2, an outdoor concert featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Weezer will heat up the yearlong festivities. The lure of Las Vegas as a vacation destination, the popularity of the Peppers (who earned $17 million for three shows in Londons Hyde Park last year) and the attractiveness of ticket prices (free), made it no surprise that nearly 50,000 tickets were snatched up in 15 minutes.

The concert, to be held in a parking lot across from the Las Vegas Convention Center, about three-quarters of a mile from the Strip, poses some obvious security challenges. This makeshift venue will hold a crowd nearly the size of Yankee Stadium's. To pull it off without a hitch, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the county's fire department and public works division began planning for security issues, such as the development of an emergency evacuation plan and crowd management, well in advance. A centrally located command center equipped with radio and Internet facilities will be manned by security, police and fire department personnel to keep close watch and to coordinate security responses.

Perimeter patrol will be the top priority. Security efforts are aided by concrete walls that exist on two sides of the parking lot, and wrought iron fences on the other two sides will undergo temporary reinforcements (in order to keep attendees in and prevent outside crowds from gathering to watch). Concertgoers will have their tickets checked at one of two locations, and they will then be ushered in to the security and bag check areas.

Bill Overly, security director for WeServe Crowd Management Services, a 17-year-old crowd management company, and security director for this special birthday party, is optimistic about concertgoers' good behavior. "Actually," he says, "we expect the weather to be the primary challenge." Vegas scorches in the summer; average July temperatures hover near 100 degrees. To mitigate the harsh conditions, misting centers will be set up, and medical personnel will be on hand.