Bristol Gets Ready for Obama

Bristol mall maintenance supervisor Dan Lisa prepares for President Barack Obama's visit

By: Claire Galofaro | TriCities.com
Published: July 29, 2009

BY CLAIRE GALOFARO
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
BRISTOL, Va. – Area law enforcement is getting gussied up for President Obama’s Bristol appearance today. They’ve washed the ambulances, ironed their uniforms and they’re lining up – in droves – to keep things in order.
Bristol Virginia Police Department Capt. Darryl Milligan, who oversaw the preparations, said in addition to regular patrol, 49 Bristol Virginia officers will be on duty to man the crowds and direct the traffic. An additional 37 officers are coming from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police and Bristol Tennessee Police Department to pitch in.
The Bristol Life Saving Crew is ready with two crews just in case anything goes wrong, crew Capt. Tim Salyer said.
Salyer said he didn’t have any problem coming up with volunteer crews to “spit-shine” and staff the team’s two ambulances.
“It’s an exciting adventure,” he said. “And we certainly don’t want to make Bristol look bad.”
Local police are working with the Secret Service on security plans, and will focus primarily on crowd control. They don’t have any idea how many people will line the streets, but guess the number will be counted in thousands.
Capt. Maynard Ratcliff said because Bristol hosts huge crowds twice a year for the races, it is better prepared to handle visitor chaos than most similarly sized cities. The problem is they have months to prepare for NASCAR, and five days for Obama. “We didn’t know the details until Friday,” Ratcliff said Tuesday afternoon. “It was like walking into a hornet’s nest, there was so much to do in a very short time. And then go over it all with a fine-tooth comb. But, I feel like we’re pretty much ready.”
To top things off, it’s a lot of pressure to have the president on your watch.
Milligan said he’s logged 20.5 overtime hours in the past three days. Ratcliff described him as “stressed.”
“How often do you get to see a president in Bristol?” Milligan said. “Naturally, we want to have all our I’s dotted and T’s crossed. It takes time to get everything lined up, to make sure we’re all on the same sheet of music.”
They’re hoping to make the event as painless as possible for local residents, but said there will definitely be delays in the Kroger neighborhood.
Ratcliff said Midway Street will be closed from 2:30 p.m. until after the event, and will likely reopen around 6 p.m. Gate City Highway will be closed “off and on” as needed, meaning access to its side streets will be limited at best.
“Whether you’re in or you’re out, that’s where you’re going to have to stay,” Ratcliff said. “If people don’t have business in that area, and are not wanting to be spectators, they’d be better off staying away from there.”
Tri-Cities Regional Airport will operate normally, but is warning passengers to expect minimal delays between 1 and 6 p.m., specifically when Air Force One lands and takes off. The observation deck and mezzanine will be closed during those times, as well.
cgalofaro@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2531

Bristol Gets Ready for Obama

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