AMHERST — Amherst Fire Chief Walter “Tim” Nelson will lend his expertise to a new statewide task force that will spend the next few months examining ways to improve safety and security for sports stadiums, concert halls, convention centers and other places where people gather in significant numbers.
“Our job is to look at the best practices out there for large venue security and put together a policy paper for the governor on how to best share those practices,” Nelson said.
Gov. Charlie Baker recently signed an executive order, at an event staged at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, to create the task force.
“Tragic events in the United States and overseas have highlighted the need for our state, local and community partners to be focused on large venue security, and we look forward to the work this commission will pursue,” Baker said.
Nelson said there is no consistent manner for applying best practices at different places, whether it be Fenway Park and TD Garden in Boston, Gillette Stadium, the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield or Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox. He compares large venues to vehicles, observing that a race car, a Jeep and a family van all need tires, but the specifications for those tires differ.
The task force will identify the best ways to handle security, both from what exists in the United States and around the world, and apply this to government operations in Massachusetts, Nelson said.
Undersecretary of Homeland Security Patrick McMurray, who is also on the task force, suggested Nelson’s name to the governor, not only because of his emergency management background, but also his ties to western Massachusetts.
“I’m honored to be part of a statewide task force that is a first of its kind in the entire country,” Nelson said. “This will be a great way to work toward the security of folks we serve. I can’t think of a better way to serve my community or my state.”
Nelson is joined by five other public safety enforcement professionals, including Boston Police Commissioner William Gross, Barnstable Police Lt. Jean Challies, Senior Special Agent Kerry L. Meade, Worcester Police Chief Steve Sargent and University of Massachusetts Lowell Police Lt. Melissa Mullen, as well as McMurray, Executive Office of Public Safety Secretary Daniel Bennett, State Police Colonel Kerry Gilpin, Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard Colonel Margaret White and Deputy Fire Marshal Maribel Fournier.
Also on the task force will be some of those responsible for overseeing large venues, such as Robert Noonan, chief information security officer for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Amy Latimer, president of TD Garden, Mark Briggs, managing partner for Broadstone Group, which handles Gillette Stadium’s operations, Peter Nesbit, vice president of ballpark operations for the Boston Red Sox and Jason Freeman of Six Flags.
By April 30, the task force will submit to the governor a strategic plan for large venue security that will identify the safety and security risks facing these large venues, recommend standards for planning, training, intelligence gathering and sharing, and interoperable communications, conduct a review of best practices around the world for public-private partnerships in ensuring large venue security and draft any recommended changes to statutes and regulations necessary to implement those best practices in Massachusetts.
Bennett said he is confident that the task force’s recommendations will improve security and the experience for spectators and attendees.
“Public safety officials and private venue operators have a shared responsibility to keep our citizens and visitors safe,” Bennett said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
