New Comcast Center Licensing Agreement Approved, Focuses on Security

After controversy and concerns over security and safety during last year’s Comcast Center concerts, the selectmen voted 4-0 to approve a new entertainment licensing agreement for the concert venue featuring new security measures.

The vote completes months of work by the Comcast Center, public safety officials, and Selectmen Olivier Kozlowski and Jess Apowitz to create a new entertainment license agreement that would improve audience safety at the 19,900 person venue.

“It’s been a long run and this document has gotten pretty comprehensive. We want to hopefully have a nice venue for people to go to, enjoy entertainment, be safe, and have Comcast (Center) succeed and do well,” Apowitz said.

This year, there will be a centralized command center than will place police, fire, medical personnel, and Comcast Center security in one room. The center was designed to make sure everyone is on the same page at the same time. All emergency calls will go into that room, streamlining the process of dealing with an incident or an emergency.

In addition to security, Sturdy Memorial Hospital also approved of the new centralized system and will provide an on-site doctor for this season’s shows.

Selectman George Dentino found the changes to be a step in the right direction.

“It is a tremendous improvement over what we had,” Dentino said.

Comcast Center GM Bruce Montgomery praised the changes made for security, believing they make the amphitheater safer for concertgoers.

“Live Nation has always placed our patron’s safety as our number one priority and always will,” Montgomery said. “These public safety enhancements, it’s only going to help our patrons be more comfortable and enjoy the music.”

There will also be more security in the general admission lawn area behind the assigned seating as the area that has been a place of concern and trouble over the years.

“I like that you’re going into the grass area. I always considered it no man’s land, the wild wild west. There’s a lot of action up in that place,” Dentino said in praise of the focus on the open seating area.

The summer concert season at the Comcast Center will kick off with the Beat This Summer Tour featuring Brad Paisley on May 17.