On June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed in a shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.
Just over one month later on July 14, a cargo truck was deliberately driven into the crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France, killing 86 and wounding over 50 others.
And on Jan. 6, 2017, a gunman opened fire at the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, killing five.
For Florida Strawberry Festival General Manager Paul Davis and Security Manager Tim Lovett, both former deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the safety of the hundreds of thousands of guests that come to Plant City’s 11-day festival every year is a top priority — one they’ll maintain in a world where the unimaginable can become a reality in the blink of an eye.
“Everything changed after 9-11,” Davis said. “But it just keeps changing. As time progresses, you have to stay ahead of the curve.”
With added safety measures this year that include pre-registering vehicles on the grounds and promoting pedestrian safety, the festival’s security leaders are ensuring that guests are well-protected.
Safety First
There were over 560,000 attendees of the 2016 Florida Strawberry Festival. Before any of them entered the festival’s gates, they were required to have their bags searched and be checked with a security wand at the festival’s entrance.
The added safety measure was new last year, after the festival brought on Lovett, a Plant City native, as security manager. He encouraged the use of wands and bag checks at the festival from his time overseeing courthouse security in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.
But it wasn’t just installing the measure — it was ensuring that the technique was done properly. Prior to the start of the festival, security officers had to take a safety class to learn proper “wanding” techniques with an estimated cost of $75,000.
“Tim was basically hired to head our security,” Davis said. “We’ve updated it substantially. We have security around the perimeter, including mounted and bike officers. You can’t be too secure these days. Our most important weapon is that our customers here are like family. They notice things and they are quick to tell us when they see something wrong. We had no complaints about searches last year because guests want to be safe, too.”
In 2017, Lovett and Davis will continue to take measures to ensure that the festival is a fun, safe atmosphere for all who attend. Annually, the festival spends about $500,000 on security, and partners with both the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Plant City Police Department.
“The way things are today, we want people to feel safe coming here,” Lovett said.
The latest security precaution was Lovett’s idea. This year, all vehicles that enter the grounds of the festival will be required to have a sticker on them with an identification number and pre-registered information about the driver.
“If it doesn’t have one, it will be removed from the grounds,” Lovett said.
To keep guests safe, vehicles won’t be allowed inside the grounds during the festival’s operating hours and will have restricted access during closed hours. Largely, the vehicles that come on the grounds after festival hours are for festival vendors who need to work on their booths and restock supplies.
Emergency vehicles will be the only ones allowed inside the grounds during festival hours.
“The sticker can’t be reused,” Davis said. “If you take it off, it will show as void. When we’re closed, there’s usually between 60 to 70 cars that stock and fix stuff.”
Like vendors, musicians also will be given temporary stickers to use. Musicians will tell security about their vehicles ahead of time, so that the festival can anticipate their arrival.
“We will advance that with every act coming in,” Davis said. “After the 2016 festival … Tim saw the weaknesses of vehicles driving in.”
During last year’s festival, vehicles were required to be off the grounds before the festival opened. Lovett often had to track down drivers who kept their vehicles on the grounds too close to opening hours.
That, paired with recent attacks in the United States and across the globe, led him to come up with the sticker idea.
“As an added bonus, we’ll also know that all drivers have a valid license and insurance,” Davis said. “I’m very proud of Tim for thinking of it.”
To prevent vehicles from driving into the festival without approval, blockades will be placed around the festival’s entrances. Gates will be equipped with security cameras.
“This has kind of become the norm, and people expect it,” Davis said. “That’s a good thing. People aren’t so offended by cameras or security at the gates. Last year, we found that people appreciated it. We tell our employees, ‘If you see something, say something.’ It doesn’t hurt.”
Lovett agreed.
“Last year I expected more complaints, but we really didn’t receive any,” he said. “People know what’s happening in society these days, and they want to feel safe. I didn’t get called over for anyone who refused to let their bags be checked. All in all, we had a great festival last year.”
“We prepare for the worst, hope for the best and pray,” Davis said.
The 2017 Florida Strawberry Festival will run from Thursday, March 2, through Sunday, March 12.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.