The Whatcom Unified Emergency Management‘s (WUEM) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be manned tomorrow by members of the Whatcom Unified Incident Management Team (WU-IMT) in anticipation of the scheduled appearance of presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden.
There will be the need to coordinate multiple agencies from the point when Trump arrives at Bellingham International Airport to when he departs. Anticipated are traffic issues while Trump travels between the airport and the fairgrounds, as well as crowd control and security along the unannounced route (one route possibility includes traveling I-5 through Ferndale) and at the fairgrounds and dealing with the unexpected.
According to Ferndale Police Sergeant Kevin Davis, 8 Ferndale Police officers will be sent to assist with crowd control and Ferndale’s Mobile Command and Communications Vehicle will be utilized at the WUEM EOC to aid in communications with the multiple agencies involved.
In an announcement today, WUEM notified the community,
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Click for more informationYou will see significant security presence, possible traffic congestion, visible law enforcement and support agencies. This includes Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security, Lynden Police, Washington State Patrol, Bellingham International Airport Operations, and other local and federal agencies.
We cannot do this alone, it is the job of everyone in our community, not just the police, to provide a safe and respectful environment.
We hope those who attend or are in the area during rallies will do their part to ensure civility defines our actions. We are a community that recognizes and appreciates differences of opinion and our expectation is that this visit will occur without incident. However we want people to know that we will be vigilant in protecting the safety and wellbeing of all our community members.
They also alerted attendees to expect tight security,
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Click for more informationThose attending are advised to plan ahead for the security screening practices that accompany any presidential candidate visit. A good rule of thumb to follow: do not bring any items to the event that would not be allowed through screening at an airport checkpoint. To enter the event spectators will walk through magnetometer screening similar to that at an airport. Do not bring weapons of any kind (including knives of any size), umbrellas, signs, banners, or tripods. Please limit personal items and do not bring large bags. Small bags such as purses are allowed but will be subject to search for security reasons. Cameras are allowed. Due to the difficulty in storing and returning items that are not allowed through screening, there will be no storage area. Visitors are advised to leave items that won’t clear screening at home, or to secure them in their cars prior to driving and parking at the event. At the request of organizers, please don’t bring signs to the venue.
Parking near the event will be a challenge, so attendees should plan to arrive long in advance of the event to allow time to find a parking spot and to get through the screening. Entrances to the event will be Gate 2 on Front Street (northwest) and Gate 5 on Kok Road (southwest).
The call center will be available on Saturday from 8am to 6pm to address event specific questions and concerns. The call center number is 360-788-5303.