GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – As thousands of ECU Pirate fans plan to pack the Dowdy Ficklen-Stadium for the season’s first home football game on Saturday, ECU police is taking extra safety measures to ensure fans have a great experience.
The ECU Police Department made room for two new K-9s, Brixi and Larry, German shepherds that were trained months ago in explosive detection and signs of threats.
“They work in conjunction with our normal patrol shifts on a daily basis,” Deputy Chief of Police Chris Sutton said. “But when we have events here on campus, like football, they’ll sweep those areas. They are also available should we have some type of threat that’s alerted to us, then we can use and deploy them.”
The department also announced another K-9 retiring later this fall.
While the K-9s focus on sweeping the game for threats, officers will make sure that fans are staying hydrated, says Sutton.
“Because of the heat, we will have our heat management plan in place,” he said. “We’ll have cooling stations around the stadium, additional fire rescue personnel that will be here, and cold water to keep people safe.”
He says other agencies like local law enforcement and SBI officials will also monitor the game.
With safety precautions set in place for the season’s first home football game, fans say they’re ready for a full day of school spirit.
“I’m very excited cause it’s my first ever college football game so it’s just- I’m ready for it,” Andrew Darcy, a first-year student said.
Between 30 and 40 thousand people are anticipated to attend the game, says Sutton, meaning heavy traffic in the area should be expected.
“We’re tailgating, and all my friends are coming up and then we’re getting all dressed up for the game and having great game day spirit. GO PIRATES,” Jordyn Christopher another first-year student said.
For more information on ECU’s home game, visit here.
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