Ensuring the public's safety at the National Swiss-Wrestling Tournament and Alpine Festival

As can be seen by this installation on the roundabout on Nordstrasse between Baar Zug, it is only 154 days before the National Swiss-Wrestling Tournament and Alpine Festival (Esaf) starts on a site straddling the city and Baar.

As previously mentioned, some 300,000 visitors are expected to attend over the three days it takes place, namely between Friday 23 and Sunday 25 August.

Naturally, security is a priority at the event, with the city having allocated CHF 50,000 in its budget to cover additional costs for standby services by the Zug Voluntary Fire Brigade (FFZ), for example.

There will in fact be as many as 70 members of the brigade on duty throughout the festival. As commander of the FFZ, Daniel Jauch, explained, this number amounts to half of all members of the brigade, but it was not difficult to find volunteers, who will be on patrol not just in the arena area but also on the nearby campsite and car parking area.

A fire engine and specialist staff of six will also be on standby from the Friday to the Monday. In order to ensure they are close by in the event of any emergency, they will actually be sleeping at premises on Ahornstrasse. If these six volunteers need additional support, additional members of the FFZ can be summoned, with members of the fire brigades of Baar and Steinhausen also on standby. They will all work in cooperation with the other emergency services, should such a situation arise. This is all in addition to other teams of the FFZ on standby in the event of any emergency in other parts of the canton at this time. In order to ensure all know what to do, a training day with over 100 taking part will take place on 30 March, with another planned to be held one month before the event starts. These will deal with such matters as risk analysis and escape routes and such like.

Naturally the police will play a pivotal role in all security matters. As police spokesman Frank Kleiner explained, many honorary guests will present, some requiring personal protection. Indeed, the authorities imposed a ban on police taking holidays or days off during the course of the event as early as May of 2017. Whether additional officers will have to be drafted in from neighbouring central Swiss cantons is not yet known.

Even if it is another five months before the event gets under way, Jauch confirmed that all involved with security are preparing for it in a very professional way, and with great anticipation.