Agencies prepare for concert, holiday weekend
LAKE COUNTY — As the Polson Fourth of July weekend events, a concert in Ronan and the massive Arlee Celebration are all coinciding this year, area law enforcement and emergency agencies are taking the necessary precautions to ensure that this holiday season is a safe one.
“We’ll be ready,” Lake County Sheriff Lucky Larson assured Monday afternoon.
Undersheriff Jay Doyle advised that while the sheriff’s office does not intend to need to tap its extensive reserve deputy program for the weekend, the department will still have extra personnel on the roads — at least three more officers on duty than the regular total of three on an average Friday night. Doyle explained that at least one of those officers primary duties will be focusing on DUI patrol.
“It’ll be a busy weekend for us,” the undersheriff said.
The sheriff’s office was prepared to offer even more aid to the Ronan Police Department and Montana Highway Patrol for coverage of the “Highway to Hell” AC/DC tribute concert Friday night, but past estimates of ticket sales reaching 5,000 concertgoers have proven ambitious as pre-sale ticket sales were showing far under that mark on Tuesday. Steve Stanley, director of the Lake County Office of Emergency Management, said his office was prepared to offer an extra trailer on-site at the concert to house extra emergency dispatchers if necessary.
“If they need it, we’ll be there in a heartbeat,” Stanley said.
The Ronan Police Department is also gearing up for the concert, adding a minimum of an extra three officers on duty on top of the regular two officers for a typical Friday night patrol. Assistant Chief Art Walgren confirmed that the department’s grant-funded highway traffic safety officer will be out focusing on keeping DUIs off of U.S. Highway 93, as well as two step patrol officers for traffic and DUI enforcement.
The assistant chief added that some reserve officers may end up volunteering to go on foot for crowd patrol, but a few decisions would still have to be made at the last minute pending final ticket sales and attendance.
Montana Highway Patrol will have its MIDAC DUI Taskforce trailer out on location this weekend, posted in the Ronan-Pablo area on Friday for use in easier conducting of standard field sobriety tests. MHP commonly deploys the trailer at well-attended events where alcohol will be served.
Law enforcement authorities have also confirmed that the Bandidos biker gang will also be making a ride through the area this weekend — down from Glacier on HWY 93 to Kalispell, through Lake County and on to a location on the north end of Missoula County.
On the fire side of things, volunteer firefighters are looking at, typically, one of the busiest weekends of the year. Polson Fire Chief John Fairchild said his station will be manned with 24-hour coverage in 6-hour shifts starting on Friday and continuing into early Sunday morning.
“We’ve got a lot of things to prepare for with races, and the fireworks display, and, of course, our regular run calls,” Fairchild said.
In Ronan, Fire Chief Mark Clary anticipates the sirens will be sounding often this weekend with a heightened risk of fireworks sparking a grassfire or two.
“It’s going to be a busy weekend for these guys already and they’re all volunteers, so we’re probably going to be stationing a couple trucks at firefighter’s houses to make response easier,” Clary added.