An array of public, private security makes sure families can enjoy themselves

Kevin and Jessica Fellows and their three daughters waited patiently in line Saturday afternoon at the Oregon Jamboree, just minutes before Lorrie Morgan was to perform on the main stage.

The girls wanted to get their faces painted with butterflies, or a bright pink kitten.

“We love the Jamboree,” Jessica said. “We’ve been coming every year since 1996.”

The North Bend residents said a big part of the country music festival’s attraction is that it is family oriented.

“We’ve always felt safe and our girls look forward to coming back every year,” she said. “We’ve never had a bad experience here.”

That family atmosphere doesn’t come without year-round vigilance on the part of Jamboree staff and volunteers working with the Sweet Home Police Department and the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District.

Police Chief Bob Burford has lived in Sweet Home 21 years and has been involved in helping patrol the three-day event since the first time Wynonna Judd took to the stage in 1992.

Now the town of 8,200 welcomes about 10,000 people for the three-day event.

“A lot of the credit goes to the Jamboree folks,” Burford said while cooling off in an RV that is used as a portable command center. “They work with us constantly and have said from day one they want this to be a safe event, one that goes smoothly and has a reputation for being a quality family festival.”

Burford said working the first Jamboree was a struggle because no one really knew what to expect.

“We had an eclectic crowd and lots of people came to party and have a good time,” Burford said. “We stayed on top of it and most of those folks never came back. We sent the message that this show was going to be for families.”

Part of that message was that although the beer gardens are important money makers for the event, alcohol is not going to flow outside of the fenced off areas. Although 1,000 to 1,200 people can be in the two beer gardens during peak times, they are surrounded by a sea of volunteer staff members wearing bright orange T-shirts as well as paid professional security staff.

The beer garden staff, directed by longtime volunteer Coreen Melcher, has been together for years. Their depth of experience pays off when the crowd gets thick and the night wears on. Friday evening the beer gardens were packed, so the volunteers restricted inflow to the outflow of patrons: Three out, three in.

The beer garden volunteers are in constant communication with the police department staff. If a shoving match starts, officers make sure it does not escalate, and those involved are ejected.

Three to five such events occur each Jamboree, Burford said.

Burford said there are at least four officers on the grounds at any time, assisted by Explorers. At least three other officers are patrolling the community as well.

“We black out these three days. No vacations or time off,” Burford said.

Overtime for work inside the event grounds is paid for by the Jamboree, Burford said. The city picks up the extra costs for patrolling the rest of the community.

As the Jamboree has grown, so has the need for outside assistance. This year, the Albany Police Department sent a patrol car and officer to help patrol the community, the Lebanon Police Department sent two motorcycle officers, Linn County volunteered traffic teams and the Oregon State Police put four units in the area.

In addition to paid officers, the Jamboree also relies heavily on volunteer security members and paid private security teams.

“A private company from California has been coming here for at least 10 years to provide security for the backstage and in front of the stage,” Burford said. “They are great to work with.”

Another security company works with volunteers at the front gate, keeping order there and checking backpacks and such.

The Jamboree has experienced growing pains in recent years, Burford said. In the last three or four years, campgrounds have become targets of thieves.

There are 1,500 to 1,600 campers this year.

“What we’ve been seeing is theft of expensive bicycles, coolers and generators,” Burford said. “The coolers are kids stealing them for beer. The generators are expensive and they’re getting them even if they are chained and padlocked. That’s the work of someone who knows what he’s doing.”

To reduce such thefts, campgrounds are now restricted to Jamboree staff and registered campers. All others can be ticketed for trespass, Burford said.

“I think all of my police officers and the volunteers as well take keeping this a safe event as a point of personal pride,” Burford said. “We want people to visit and have a good time. We take it personally when someone wants to spoil that.”

It’s a busy time for emergency crews

It’s not just the police department that gets a workout during the Oregon Jamboree.

Paid staff and volunteers from the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District have also been an integral part of the event since day one.

“We usually average about six calls per day during the year and Friday, we had 20 calls,” said Battalion Chief Doug Emmert. “Not all of them can be attributed to the Jamboree, but we were busy.“

Emmert said most of his department’s issues revolve around weather. The hotter it gets and the brighter the sun shines, the busier his staff members become.

Saturday afternoon, large bottles of sunscreen sat on the counter in the front of the emergency aid booth. As people walked by, they picked up the tubes, squeezed the white paste onto their arms and necks and moved on.

“Often, we see people’s regular health issues escalate after they’ve been sitting in the sun for hours. Things such as asthma and heart problems,” Emmert said.

His staff sees an “occasional alcohol problem” but it’s “really a pretty clean event.”

Staff hand out numerous adhesive strips and also treat people for bee stings. Youngsters get Junior Fire Chief badges to wear with pride.

“The biggest issue is trying to handle what you can’t predict at this type of event,” Emmert said. “You can plan the best you can, but even with all of that planning, if something major were to happen, you could be overwhelmed.“

About 30 staff, paid and volunteers, are working inside and outside of the grounds each day.

“We let people work two days and then have one day off, but it’s mandatory that there are no vacations during these three days,” Emmert said.

The department has four ambulances and most days, two are in use. During the Jamboree, all four are pressed into service. Road closures surrounding the Jamboree area can make navigating calls within the city difficult.

“Our regular, everyday business doesn’t change, it just gets busier,” Emmert said.

Alex Paul can be reached at alex.paul@lee.net or 812-6076.