Bikefest communication plan includes twice daily memos to Horry council

As thousands of bikers will roam Horry County streets and take to the newly implemented late-night traffic loop, Horry County Council and the county’s senior staff will be getting twice daily updates on the area’s happenings.

Randy Webster, emergency management director for Horry County, said the county’s emergency operations center has been set up since Monday and will continue to have regular operations hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through this Friday. The operations center is the hub that provides support in case there is a first responder-related issue.

Webster said the center will be prepared to open for the weekend, if needed, and then will re-open Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Beginning next Thursday, which is the kickoff of Atlantic Beach Bikefest, the emergency operations center will be open 24 hours through Memorial Day.

“I think we’ve done what we could do and we’ve done a lot of ‘what ifs’ along the way, and I think we are ready as a county and ready as a community for both bike rallies,’ Webster said. “One of the biggest pieces we’ll have with the crisis center is to keep all the executives informed. We’ll be sending out briefings every day, hopefully two. It’ll give you a situational awareness of where we are, current situation and current issues going on across the community.”

The emergency operations center will be at the M.L. Brown Public Safety Building in Conway. A command post will be manned during Memorial Day weekend’s Bikefest in the City Services Building in Myrtle Beach and another in North Myrtle Beach. Emergency services personnel will also be at Magnolia Plaza near the north end of the Strand and another at the South Strand Complex on Scipio Lane..

Plans to prevent a repeat of last year’s deadly Memorial Day Bikefest have been a near-yearlong effort.

Three people died and seven were injured in eight shootings on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach last Bikefest and officials have been working to be more prepared with law enforcement, and have worked to send early message to visitors to “be safe, have fun and follow the law.”

More than 100 officers and private security will man a 23-mile traffic loop — from 29th Avenue North on Ocean Boulevard south and around to Kings Highway, north to Harrelson Boulevard – which turns into George Bishop Parkway – west to Waccamaw Boulevard, which runs next to U.S. 501, onto S.C. 31 heading north to Grissom Parkway south, then onto U.S. 17 Bypass and down 29th Avenue North — that will be in place overnight on Memorial Day weekend. The loop will be put in place in an effort to keep traffic moving and cut down on street parties.

This story was originally published May 12, 2015 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Bikefest communication plan includes twice daily memos to Horry council."