I'm new to this thread, so this has probably already been discussed. If so, please ignore. :-)
For purposes of discussion only.
Daily O'Collegian
October 10, 2005 Monday
Bomb squad stands by at Oklahoma State U. game
By Brent Battle, Daily O'Collegian; Oklahoma State U.
STILLWATER, Okla.
Changes in security for Saturday's football game at Boone Pickens Stadium included having an Oklahoma Highway Patrol bomb squad crew.
The request by Oklahoma State University Police for the bomb squad came after the Oct. 1 bombing at the University of Oklahoma football game. A student detonated a bomb less than 100 feet from the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, killing only himself.
Representatives from OSU Police, OSU environmental health and safety department, OSU athletic department and Express Personnel discussed making the changes at Wednesday's game-staging meeting in response to the bombing at OU.
OSU Police Chief Mike Robinson requested the bomb squad crew to attend Saturday's game and the season's remaining home games.
Having a bomb squad on site eliminates a one-hour response time if the crew were called from one of the two stations in Oklahoma City or Tulsa, said J.D. Wilson, first lieutenant and OHP Bomb Squad Commander. The squad can defuse bombs with a remote-controlled robot operated by an OHP officer by looking through a video-monitor inside the squad vehicle, Wilson said.
"I think it's a great idea the bomb squad is here," said Orlando Spagner, an Express Personnel employee who worked at Saturday's game. "They should take precaution. Why wouldn't they?"
Joyce Tell, an Express Personnel parking attendant, said her bag was searched before going to work on the corner of North Knoblock Street and Athletic Drive. "They've never done that before," Tell said.
Don Pierce, director of the university's environmental health and safety department, said his department hired 3,000 more Express Personnel staff this season than this past year.
The extra staff was added to secure the construction on the north side of the stadium and the increased number of fans in attendance on the south side suite and club levels.
"We asked our staff to be more vigilant of the surroundings of the people," Pierce said. "If you see something suspicious, don't be scared to notify security."
No major changes in security staffing will be made in response to the bombing at OU, he said.
"I can tell you we are well-staffed with security and personnel to take care of our people who come to the games," Pierce said.
Regenna Pratt, of Yukon, Okla., said she has been attending OSU home football games for 25 years. She said she has noticed a major change in game-day security in the past five years.
"I think, in the long run, people are still good people who still have fun and feel safe," Pratt said. "It still feels like a home atmosphere even though you have to put up with a little bit of inconvenience."
Pratt said the security is not intimidating and it's necessary for protecting the fans in attendance.
"People that go to the games, they don't usually have a concept of what goes on behind the scenes in preparation," Robinson said. "It's a very detailed, highly organized machine that rolls into action to get ready for an event that day."
OSU Police is communicating with OU Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force and several other law enforcement agencies across the state to take the necessary security precautions at all OSU sporting events, Robinson said.
There will be 30 OSU police officers working each home game. Police from the city of Stillwater, Payne County, the University of Central Oklahoma and the Village (an Oklahoma City suburb) are provided for each home game, Robinson said.
BTW, is there any definitive forensic (or even eyewitness) proof for this -- that he intentionally set the bomb off? And that it was the student who detonated the bomb instead of a 'friend?'
Or is that just the "official version" being repeated in the press?
Nita was this article about LAST Saturdays game or this coming Saturday?
Bomb squad stands by at Oklahoma State U. game By Brent Battle, Daily O'Collegian; Oklahoma State U.
STILLWATER, Okla.
Changes in security for Saturday's football game at Boone Pickens Stadium included having an Oklahoma Highway Patrol bomb squad crew.
Just a simple suicide. Yeh Right!
Thanks Nita. I had seen it in a Google alert, but not here on FR. I'm much appreciative of your posting it here, as these articles sometimes "disappear" over time (Temp pages, etc...).