How the city has prepared to keep people safe at the Austin Marathon

AUSTIN (KXAN) — After a deadly end to a celebration in Kansas City this week, where one person was killed and nearly two dozen others were injured, safety during mass gatherings is front and center.

It comes the week before one of Austin's major events, which has previously drawn roughly 100,000 spectators and thousands of runners to Austin's core.

Earlier this week, Austin's public safety departments, along with marathon organizers and hospital staff did what they call a "table top exercise," Austin-Travis County EMS Division Chief Kevin Parker said. That exercise worked through worst case scenarios, and is something done before all large events, he explained.

"We really are [ready]. And the reason that we are is Austin is a very very event-centric city for special events," Parker said. "It's not just the marathon that we practice for and that we train for, it is an ongoing thing for our personnel working all of these events."

What's required

To ensure safety, event organizers — such as those behind the Austin Marathon — have to "submit a special event permit application to Austin Center for Events and a site plan for review by various departments," said a spokesperson for the Austin Center for Events (ACE).

Those departments include fire, police, EMS and transportation.

Within that application, event organizers are held to security and safety requirements, including adequate medical staff and security. Those exact numbers are dependent on location, size and type of event, ACE said.

"Austin Center for Events minimum requirements are that there is adequate staffing for traffic control, medical needs and site plan safety for the size and scope of the event," the spokesperson said.

The Austin Police Department did not disclose how many officers it intends to have at Sunday's race, citing security concerns. Event organizers also have the option of bringing in private security, law enforcement from surrounding agencies such as AISD and Travis County and APD may choose to bring in retired officers from its APD reserve team.

"I think any assistance that the police department can get, especially in the form of the reserve officer program, will help ensure that the people in the community are safe during events like these," Austin City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly said. She helped push for that reserve team.

Parker said EMS will also be staffing up for the race and that fire, EMS and police will all have representatives coordinating response at a central command center.

"The Austin marathon paying for additional paramedics to be there means that our ambulances that are in your neighborhood aren't having to be called in — and out of your neighborhood to support this event," he said.