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> 07/04/2003 National Constitution Center Dedication (Ed Goppelt)
07/04/2003 National Constitution Center Dedication (Ed Goppelt)
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One of Six Portable Toilets by the Fifth Street Entrance
2003/07/04 How the toilets are handled at a public event often provides insight into the thinking of event planners. In this case, there were plenty of public toilets, but most of them were tucked away out of sight of the public and more importantly the TV cameras.
My sense is that the planners of this event wanted to beam a flawless television show publicizing the existence of the museum to the Nation. In essence, they hoped to air an hour and half long commercial for the Center on national TV.
The dignitaries on stage were supposed to have opened a curtain revealing the open doors of the National Constitution Center to a national audience, a perfect television moment. But when they pulled on their strings, the dignitaries unwittingly pulled down a giant picture frame sending Mayor Street, NCC CEO Joe Torsella, and two others to the hospital.
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July 4 Dedication Ceremony Press Schedule
2003/07/04 The Center's schedule is calibrated to the minute. This precision would seem futile in a public event where so many factors are outside anyone's control. However, in national television where every minute represents millions of dollars in advertising revenue, this level of control is the norm. According to my notes the event wrapped up at around 10:51 am, about 17 minutes behind schedule. Given that this is 1. a public event and 2. an unscheduled disaster happened, a delay of just 17 minutes seems truly remarkable.
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Press Coverage of the Dedication Ceremony
2003/07/04 See How well did the press cover the Constitution Center?
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Event medical staff wait for something to happen
2003/07/04 Unfortunately, there EMTs really where required when
a 650 lb piece of scenery was pulled down onto those on stage.
According to news reports, five persons were injured:
- National Constitution Center
CEO Joseph Torsella sustained a head injury and cracked one of the vertebrae in his spine.
- Mayor Street left the hospital with his arm in a sling.
- Senator Arlen Specter's arm was injured but he did not seek medical attention.
- Chief US District Judge James T. Giles was treated and released from a local hospital.
- An unidentified court worker was treated and released from a local hospital.
National Constitution Center
CEO Joseph Torsella may have been the most seriously injured. While Torsella downplayed his injury, reports by Kitty Caparella
and Channel Six describe many of the signs and symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury:
- A loss of consciousness
- A loss of memory for events immediately before or after the accident
- An alteration in mental state (the Channel Six story described Torsella as "woozy" after the accident).
See Gordon S. Johnson Jr.'s web site for more information on traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Caparella writes of Torsella's injury:
"So much for a back-breaking job and an Excedrin headache."
I believe Caparella's heart is in the right place. However, as someone who has lived with a brain injury for many years, it is hard for me to see any humor in Torsella's situation. Brain injury is serious: divorce and loss of employment are common as survivors struggle to adjust to their new lives. Torsella and his wife may think he's ok--and I hope that they are correct--but it is often months before survivors and their families have a clear picture of the extent and nature of a survivor's injuries.
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Philadelphia Police Command Center for the Event
2003/07/04 Despite this impressive looking command center, Philadelphia Police were hard to spot at this event. I saw just one uniformed officer. Most of the visible security was provided by uniformed policemen from the National Park Service.
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My press credentials for the event
2003/07/04 I didn't have this credential for long. By 8:30 am, my credential had been confiscated and I was being escorted to the exit by two National Park Rangers.
More on this later.
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A Fox TV Anchor Warms Up for His Spot
2003/07/04
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Purple area ticket holder looks on while kids mug for the TV cameras
2003/07/04 Mayoral Spokesperson Barbara Grant said she expected 4,000-4,500 people to attend the event. But when I actually counted the seats I found a little more than 2,000. Deputy City Representative Bonnie Grant says city officials got the 4,000 ticket figure from the NCC.
Here is a comparison of what was actually available in terms of seating vs. what the City said would be available:
| Ticket Color | Ticket
Class | City Promised | Actual Seats |
|---|
| Red | VIPs | 200 | 32 |
| White | Contributors to National Constitution
Center | 600 | 542 |
| Blue | Liberty Medal Sponsors | 500 | 420 |
| Green | General Public | 700 | 620 |
| Pearl | Million Dollar NCC Donors | | 56 |
| RWB Ribbon | Unknown | | 336 |
| Light Blue | Unknown | | 30 |
| Purple | Unknown |
| 42 |
| Total | | 2,000 | 2,078 |
Bonnie Grant referred questions about tickets to the NCC. NCC Spokesperson Liz Barszczewski did not return Hallwatch's call.
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Deaf Seating Area
2003/07/04 This area was reserved for 56 deaf people. According to the University of Bristol, the incidence of deafness in the general population is 1 in about 2,000. If event planners had gone by numbers alone, a single deaf person would have been sufficient to represent the deaf community at the ceremony.
Why did organizers include so many deaf people? There are so many disabilities which are far more limiting than deafness. For example, why not have a section
for people with diabetes?
The answer, I suspect, has to do with the requirements of television. An interpreter signing away is visually interesting: it is a telegenic disability in a way that other disabilities are not.
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Seen through the Cafeteria Window
2003/07/04 This man, part of a troupe of living statues, caught my eye. A variety of performers gave impromptu performances to members of the media and others waiting for the ceremony to start.
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Doo Wop Group Performs Before Three Members of the Media
2003/07/04
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Security Screening at Event Entrance
2003/07/04 Guests had to pass through one of six magnetometers to prove they weren't carrying concealed weapons. I was pleasantly surprised by these screeners from Allied Security: they were friendly, thorough, and kept the lines moving briskly.
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City of Philadelphia Mobile Command Post
2003/07/04 A specially equipped RV like this has got to cost the City a bundle. Deputy City Representative Bonnie Grant estimates that the City spent about $1 Million on police overtime and other services during the week leading up to and including the Fourth of July.
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After the event
2003/07/04 Police presence was still heavy at the Center and surrounding federal buildings when I stopped by at around 3:00 pm. Throughout the event, I saw hardly any uniformed Philadelphia officers. Instead officers from the National Park Service and the General Services Administration (GSA) were everywhere.
With one exception, the federal officers I had contact with were unfailingly polite, but many were not from Philadelphia. While I have had my differences with the Philadelphia Police, they are ultimately family, part of my community. In general I would prefer to be policed by people who live here, not outsiders.
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Jul 24, 2008 2:37 pm
