Canvas Stadium safety crews received a national award for demonstrated excellence in spectator safety.

This summer, Colorado State University Athletic Department and CSU Police Department received an award from the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security. This award was given in recognition of Canvas Stadium as a facility that has demonstrated excellence in spectator safety.

Doug Max, senior associate athletic director for Facilities and Event Management, said that

from the beginning, the stadium was designed with the mindset of achieving maximum safety while encompassing a positive fan experience.  The design of Canvas Stadium creates an effective flow for the crowds, but also allows accessibility for responders to act fast should an emergency situation arise.

“We went from a rural environment [at Hughes Stadium] to an urban environment, which has its own challenges,” he said.

Now that the stadium is right in town, there are safety precautions put in place to handle the pregame activities held on campus as well as ways to combat the heavy traffic heading to the stadium through the heart of Fort Collins.

Canvas Stadium is one of a handful of collegiate stadiums that have started using metal detectors,  first introduced last year, along with a clear-bag policy. In addition, the stadium has an on-site medical facility and a detox location. The medical strike teams on call throughout the stadium allows for efficient response, but they have rarely been used, which Max credits to the culture of the community and student body.

 

Command center

Included in the design of this facility is a command center and a multitude of cameras for easy monitoring of all areas. This means that officers and medics can be easily dispatched to anywhere in the stadium.

“I can’t give enough credit to CSUPD,” Max commented.

On a typical game day, there will be between 80 to 100 officers both from local and neighboring departments who will be working throughout the stadium and surrounding area.