What You Didn’t See During the RNC in the CLE

In the months leading up to the Republican National Convention, many people were concerned about the potential for violent demonstrations, protests or other types of emergencies overwhelming the Rock and Roll Capital of the World.   

What you may not have known was that FEMA Region V staff, and personnel from across all levels of government, spent more than a year preparing to ensure the only rocking and rolling during convention week in Cleveland were old-time classic songs.

With approximately 3,000 Department of Homeland Security employees on hand, along with thousands of additional U.S. government personnel and staff from the state of Ohio, Cuyahoga County and the city of Cleveland, FEMA was just a small part of the larger effort to keep the convention and city as safe as possible.

As the lead federal agency for consequence management in the event of a large-scale disaster response, we provided planning support to our federal, state and local partners preparing for the convention. Our staff made countless trips to Cleveland to ensure coordination across several planning sub-committees, including those focused on logistics, crisis management, health and medical and interagency communications. We participated in multiple table top exercises to familiarize ourselves with consequence plans, teams, facilities, personnel and processes in place for responding to potential or actual major incidents that would trigger the need for support from all stakeholders involved.    

As you saw from the media coverage, thousands of people traveled to Cleveland to attend the convention or to express their first amendment rights in protest. Safety remained priority throughout the week, and fortunately, there were no major security issues or challenges and the mission was a success.

So let the good times continue to roll…

Original author: jessica.stapf
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