With the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl just weeks away, local public safety and Tournament of Roses leaders gathered in Pasadena on Thursday, Dec. 12, for what has become their own tradition: Letting the million or so people who descend on Colorado Boulevard for the big march and the Granddaddy of All Bowl Games know how to stay safe and secure on Jan. 1.
They also noted their staffs were ready for a bolstered public safety presence in Pasadena between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
For the public, the bottom line included a lot of do’s and don’ts: Do dress for the cold. Do stay hydrated with healthy drinks. But don’t drink alcohol. And don’t cross the blue “Honor Line,” that line on the route that separates the crowd from the actual parade.
The massive annual spectacle fills Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard with giant floral floats and huge crowds from near and far — that includes you, Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverine fans, who will pivot from the parade to the game in the afternoon.
“Our No. 1 priority in all of the events we do is the security of our guests, our participants, the volunteer staff and others who play a part in the success of these events,” said Tournament of Roses Executive Director David Eads, who on the front steps of the Tournament House joined Police Chief Eugene Harris, Battalion Chief Christian Miller and Rose Bowl Stadium CEO Jens Weiden to talk public safety.
They’ll definitely have their hands full this year this Dec. 31 to Jan. 1. Close to a million people line the 5.5-mile parade route between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Some camp overnight. Some come the next morning. And amid all the fun, the smiles and the anticipation, the city’s Fire Department responds to twice the regular number of calls for service, said Miller.
There are the bonfires and illegal burns whose embers go astray. There’s dehydration. Hypothermia. Cuts, bruises, scratches, alcohol-related encounters. Those calls all happen between Dec. 31, when…
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