First responders work behind the scenes to keep Greeley Stampede Independence Day Parade safe ...Saudi Arabia

As animated crowds of red, white and blue flooded 10th Avenue for the annual Greeley Stampede Independence Day Parade, the city’s Unified Command Post launched into action.

Directly behind the scenes of the Independence Day fun — waving American flags, families taking pictures and confetti popping — local first responders gathered inside the Unified Command Post at the Greeley Fire Department’s Fire Station 1.

To ensure safety during large-scale events like the parade, participating Unified Command Post agencies like the Greeley Fire Department, the Greeley Police Department, Public Works, the Office of Emergency Management, UCHealth and more coordinate an incident action plan to prepare for real-time responses for emergencies.

Rick Ruggieri, who recently took over as Greeley’s chief public safety officer, brings 20 years of experience working in special events and crisis response at the Federal Bureau of Investigation to his new role.

Ruggieri said the Unified Command Post expects the parade to bring heat-related medical emergencies, traffic congestion and crashes and disputes between attendees. However, the unified team wants to be ready for anything.

“We plan for the worst but hope for the best,” Ruggieri said.

The Greeley Stampede’s highly anticipated Independence Day Parade started at 9 a.m. Friday, running along 10th Avenue from Cranford Place to Lincoln Park. An estimated 80,000 people lined the streets for a day of celebration to see innovative and entertaining floats come to life.

Parade observer Taylor Springmeyer and her husband wanted their baby girl’s first Fourth of July to be spent together as a family, in good company with other families. Traveling from Berthoud, the Springmeyers came for the Longhorn Drive, the kickoff of the parade, and stayed for the family-friendly excitement.

Interactive floats included live acts from singers and bands to cheerleading and dance routines. Attendees could also get up close and personal with vehicles they don’t get to see every day, like tractors, semi trucks, Corvettes and even a Zamboni.

Children of all ages lit up as some floats gave out candy, necklaces and fun merch.

Simultaneously, about 60 first responders coordinated coverage from start to finish of the long-lasting event, with the University of Northern Colorado Police Department patrolling the beginning of the strip, the Weld County Sheriff’s Office at the end and the Greeley Police Department covering the spots in between.

In the past, the incident action plan for the parade used to fall under the same plan as the Greeley Stampede, according to Dominic Tatti of Greeley’s Office of Emergency Management. Today, the two events are separate assignments to improve the safety, establish a more focused and detailed approach and increase response capabilities.

“Part of the reason we did that is that there are threats out there,” Tatti said. “There are more specific threats toward parades in particular.”

In 2018, an 8-year-old boy died after he was struck by a float during the Windsor Harvest Festival Parade on Labor Day morning. Although nothing major has happened at the Greeley Stampede’s Independence Parade, it’s all about getting ahead of an emergency.

“Some things you can’t prepare for, but the fact that we have a Unified Command Post, we can respond quicker to that with more resources,” Tatti added.

Each year, the collaborative effort uses demographics from previous events — attendance and the number of calls that come in — to determine how to prepare for specific scenarios and how many units to place on the scene.

Spectators focused on the patriotic fun may not notice the safety measures surrounding them in the midst of distracting floats, loud noises and candy being thrown in their direction, but the scene is secured.

Ruggieri assured the parade area is barricaded off, police are “strategically placed” on both sides of the street and first responders at the Unified Command Post monitor traffic flow and weather.

“I want people to know there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes,” Ruggieri said.

For Springmeyer and her family, safety is top of mind, which is why they chose to sit near the fire station in case of an emergency. As a first-time visitor to the parade, she was quick to notice and appreciate how safe the parade felt as she walked up to secure a spot.

The presence of first responders extended past patrolling and surveillance Friday morning. Many joined the parade to represent their agencies and showcase their mission to keep residents safe and healthy.

Although more than 120 floats from elected officials, local businesses, youth programs and more took the streets, floats dedicated to veterans and first responders stole the show.

That included “Hero Expeditions,” a Colorado nonprofit that provides emotional rehabilitation and well-being to military service members, veterans, first responders and families of the fallen. The nonprofit’s float prioritized handing out resources to first responders in the crowd.

Veteran floats elicited the loudest cheers and the most standing ovations. The veterans of the Korean War, Vietnam War and more, spread the message that “freedom is not free,” linking to the parade’s theme of “Celebrating Our Nation’s Independence.”

“Veterans allow you to celebrate independence,” a sign from the VFW float said.

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