BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Broken Arrow's police and fire say they're equipped to handle the crowds expected to visit the Sunset Amphitheater .
Broken Arrow's City Council approved bringing Notes Live's Sunset Amphitheater to town in October, and the excitement is real.
"Live music - there's a great history here," said Jim Lesperance, who lives nearby.
2 News reported in November that Wagoner County District 1 Commissioner James Hanning doesn't believe it's the right time to build a 12,500-seat arena, given overcrowding issues at the county jail.
"I would only believe an area of that size, you're going to have some trickle down of public safety issues," he said. "Not only in the traffic but the immense amount of people."
Earlier this month 2 News talked to Wagoner County about the new center coming to the area.
Broken Arrow police said they've handled similar numbers at events before.
"I would say the one we as a police department organize is called Safety Spooktacular. It's our Halloween event. Normally, that draws in about 30,000 people," said Ethan Hutchins, Broken Arrow's Public Information Coordinator.
Since the amphitheater is within city limits, Broken Arrow police and fire departments are the responding agencies.
Broken Arrow Fire Chief Jeremy Moore told 2 News they've agreed with Notes Live to ensure public safety is their top priority.
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He said Notes Live will pay for all Broken Arrow fire and EMS personnel on-site as part of their contract. For every 1,000 attendees, fire and EMS personnel will increase on-site. He adds Notes Live is also required to build a first aid station and incident command post.
He said they would also add cooling stations.
"One of the main things that the Broken Arrow fire department responds to when we have a large gathering of people like this in the hot sun is heat-related emergencies," Moore said.
As for traffic control, BAPD's Ethan Hutchins said vendors will assist in getting people to parking spaces on site. Plus, Northeastern State University agreed to offer up to 1,000 spaces.
Hutchins said Notes Live will have their security team on site, and Broken Arrow police will help with traffic control.
Broken Arrow fire and police leaders say public safety logistics were pre-planned with Notes Live before signing the dotted line on the amphitheater.
Sunset Amphitheater is expected to open in the fall of 2025. It will be near Events Park.
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