From: Bruce Beattie (bruce@eecs.berkeley.edu)
Date: Mon Sep 16 2002 - 20:47:38 PDT
Hi Dave,
That was an excelent write up! Thanks!
Bruce MVPA 23824
Dave Brubaker wrote:
> I just thought I would share some of the experience our club had in getting
> onto the McConnell Air Force Base for an air show this last weekend. We
> were setting up a vehicle display and the base considered us vendors. This
> was their way of handling issues of access and checking us out.
>
> 1. If your display is going to have weapons displayed be sure to tell
> this to the show organizers as often as they will listen to you. Tell
> anybody who you communicate with, superiors or subordinates of the show.
> The more people who know the better. In retrospect a conversation with the
> head of the security police would have been a real time saver. Do not even
> think of bringing a live weapon on base!
>
> 2. For us, we were asked to provide names, drivers license numbers of any
> vehicle operators and the vehicle types. Later we were asked to provide the
> names of all persons involved regardless of whether they were operating a
> motor vehicle. At the last minute we were asked to provide the social
> security numbers of any and all club members attending over the age of 18,
> for us this totaled 48. We went through a vetting process, mostly checking
> us against list of bad guys on the loose such as Taliban as well as the
> Department of Motor Vehicles. (spare me the argument of how they can not
> ask for ssn's, it is their rules and their base and you do what they ask or
> stay home)
>
> 3. Prepare in advance a spread sheet with all of the above information,
> use a single point of contact from the club, this keeps things simple and
> lessens the possibility of any messages from the base not getting to the
> right person. Be sure the club has someone else in the loop,
> informationally speaking, in case the clubs planner gets hit by a truck or
> meteor or some such thing. Keep a copy of the spread sheet and take it with
> you to the gate. Also take any paperwork or spread sheets that they might
> give you. Our gate guards were working from an older copy of the spread
> sheet than we had, issued by the same show planners and they did not match.
> Our vendor badges were numbered and assigned by name and were expected to be
> returned at the end of the event. Each vehicle had a vendors pass placed in
> the front windows. Have a cell phone and contact information for show
> organizers handy so any questions can be answered quickly.
>
> 4. We were searched, vehicles that is. All the hoods were raised, all
> the cans, boxes, packs, trailers, cargo boxes, you name it, was looked into.
> The security police at the entrance do not like surprises! Take that for
> what it is worth and spare yourself some time. DO NOT take any bayonets,
> period. Be prepared to demonstrate that all of your dangerous looking
> artifacts are in fact not dangerous. Have your vehicle registration and
> insurance information with you, they might ask for this.
>
> 5. Be patient and polite. Try to understand the stakes at hand. The
> military establishment who is allowing you to be their guest can't win.
> People will bitch about the additional security measures, but let anything
> bad happen and they will bitch about the lack of those same security
> measures. Try to see it from their point of view.
>
> Since 9/11 we all know things are tighter, this was no exception. Despite
> the fact that over a month ago I started working the issue of access, this
> included the mention of the dewat firearms on vehicles, a few things fell
> through the cracks, in this case the guns, I feel it was my fault in large
> part because I only mentioned it at the onset of the arrangements. We
> really surprised the gate guards when the inspection started! It could have
> been ugly and it could have ended our participation in the show. This was
> not the fault of the gate guards, it was a simple mistake that was quickly
> worked out by the show's commanding officer who arrived in a nick of time.
> (remember that list of phone numbers
> I told you to keep handy?)
>
> Once in we set up and had a prime spot to exhibit from, we were in the main
> stream of traffic. We had a great many visitors and were able to promote
> the hobby in a very positive manner. All in all the positives far
> outnumbered the negatives. We were treated very well by the base staff.
> One of our members was injured when setting up and they took very good care
> of him, even stitched him up and returned him to us in working order! We
> were told that we would be welcome again. I took this as a compliment.
>
> DO NOT take this note as a negative comment on the base, the personnel or
> planners of the air show. There were mistakes made by both parties. They
> were resolved through communications and cooperation. The fact that the
> show boss and I had established a business rapport helped a great deal. In
> the future we will be in-processed a lot smoother due to the lessons
> learned.
>
> Hopefully this note will help some of you avoid any problems with a similar
> venture.
>
> David & Donna Brubaker
> Member MVPA #18115
> M-151A2
> http://www.piace.com/~b52d/
>
> President: Mid-Kansas MVPA
> http://www.piace.com/~b52d/MKMVPA
>
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