Volunteer Day 6, Feb 9 - SECURITY!

Sorry for the delayed reporting, I hear I even have readers who have missed daily updates. Well, as of 5 PM Feb 8 Creekside (site of all alpine events) was closed down, as was base of Creekside, so that RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police for American followers) could do their security "sweep". As of this morning, we now have to go through equivalent of airport security each time we enter a spots venue, including airport styl bag scanning equipment, no opened bottles containing liquid, etc. We lined up as planned at 7:00 AM this morning, and after waiting in that line I will never complain about airport delays. We did not mome an inch for an hour, then things finally started to flow. Apparently the security sweep had not finished on time. Luckily each of us has had at least 1 or more RCMP security checks, we get scanned in with our accreditation, and only 1 in 10 have to put packs, coats, etc through scanner. But even then, we all have knives, clippers, pliers, etc with us for crew work. But these are "OK". Each time the junior security agent sees one, he/she looks over to senior supervisor who keeps nodding "OK". And of course in ski boots I set off the alarm walking through the people scanner, all I got was a lower leg massage from knee to top of boot. All in all I guess better to be safe than sorry. But here are some figures that seem astonishing: Total budget for security for Olympics = $900,000,000. Total number of athletes I hear is around 2,500. Put that in your calculator and security cost per athlete is over $350,000. Even if total athlete number is wrong, and there are twice as many, cost is still quite staggering.

Once on the hill, everywhere one turned there were security forces, standing, skiing, keeping watch over various buildings at creekside, limiting passage of pedestrians and vehicles without proper ID, clearance, permits, etc.

Once on the hill, anytime anybody wants to enter the venue, there are stewards (VANOC personnel) who are instructed not to let anyone through without proper accreditation. NOt only that, but you need to actually tell them whose crew you are with and then they cdheck with dispatch that indeed you are actually supposed to be where you are going.

Anyway, let's hope that no "incidents" occur. (We have been taught here what words to use as euphimisms for "bad" things that might happen.

Line-up at security check-in. Note extension of line to top right of picture. There were just as many if not more than this number of people ahead of the ones in front, and an equal number further to the back. I am the one in light blue jacket and dark blue pants.

All the people in black are security personnel, and I only got half the group in the pic.

Of course, the day would not be complete without some extra jobs to do. They were short of people to drive the grooming machines, so I volunteered to do that as well:

By the way, VANOC purchased somewhere between 12 and 15 of these "Pisten-Bully" groomers just to look after the runs used for the alpine ski events. Each costs about $350,000 (with the winch attachment).