By The Star Staff
San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo on Wednesday presented the transportation, sanitation/beautification, health and safety logistics plan for the 55th edition of the traditional San Sebastián Street Festival.
This Festival is scheduled to take place from next Thursday, Jan. 16, to Sunday, Jan. 19, and will involve collaboration among various municipal, commonwealth and federal agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of all attendees.
“The San Sebastián Street Festival represents the culture and tradition of our people,” the mayor said. “Our primary commitment is to provide a safe and organized experience for the thousands of attendees who travel to the island while promoting the economic and tourist development of Old San Juan.”
Juan Jackson Rodríguez, the San Juan Municipal Police commissioner, said the operational structure will consist of 1,350 officers, including 550 municipal police officers, 400 private security officers, and 400 members of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Additionally, 327 municipal agents will be equipped with body cameras to enhance supervision and control during the event.
“Our goal is to ensure the safety of all attendees through a robust operation that includes aerial, maritime and land surveillance,” Jackson Rodríguez said. “This year, we will have 25 camera towers with 360-degree vision, powered by solar panels, complementing the 198 regular cameras already installed, for a total of 375 cameras in Old San Juan.”
Surveillance towers will be placed at strategic locations, and a mobile monitoring unit will be set up in Plaza San José. Those tools, along with call box systems and drones, will facilitate rapid responses to any incidents, the police commissioner added.
The security plan will also include surveillance cameras equipped with artificial intelligence capable of recognizing individuals, objects, and specific details such as packages, clothing colors, and types of clothing.
The K9 Unit will deploy 10 dogs trained to detect weapons, narcotics and explosives, while the maritime unit will patrol the waters around the island using two boats, two jet skis and an inflatable boat.
As part of the security measures, the Municipality of San Juan recently acquired a crane for $141,977.00, which will enhance mobility and facilitate the removal of vehicles in the narrow streets of Old San Juan.
Jackson Rodríguez emphasized that “collaboration with state and federal agencies, including the FBI and the Coast Guard, strengthens our rapid response plan, enabling us to efficiently address any situation in the shortest time possible.”
Carlos Acevedo, the director of the Municipal Office for Emergency Management (OMME by its initials in Spanish), announced the establishment of an Emergency Operations Center at the Old Casino of Puerto Rico, operational throughout the four days of festivities. The center will bring together personnel from various municipal and state agencies to respond collaboratively to any emergencies.
OMME will deploy 10 ambulances at strategic locations, along with rapid response and maritime rescue units. Emergency stations will be set up at the San Juan Museum, the Tourist Information Center (behind the Tapia Theater), San José Street at the corner of Fortaleza Street, and the National Guard facilities in Puerta de Tierra, where medical personnel will provide first aid and cardiac monitoring services.
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