Town of Chapel Hill prepares for celebration after Duke game

If students rush Franklin Street after the men’s basketball game against Duke Saturday night, town officials will be on hand to make sure the crowd doesn’t have weapons — or blue paint.

Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt said he prepares an emergency proclamation before big games like this to make sure the celebration is safe.

He said the proclamation allows town officials to do things they normally wouldn’t have the power to do.

“In order to enforce any of the regulations about having the street closed and making sure the space is safe, I need to issue a state of emergency,” Kleinschmidt said.

A ban on blue paint would also go into effect. Kleinschmidt said the ban became part of the proclamation after fans painted Franklin Street blue to celebrate the Tar Heels’ 1982 NCAA basketball championship win.

Kleinschmidt said he has a copy of the proclamation in his pocket during every game.

Chapel Hill’s police and fire departments also staff extra employees during rivalry games to make sure the street is safe.

Josh Mecimore, spokesman for the Chapel Hill Police Department, said in an email that about 30 extra officers are brought in for UNC-Duke basketball games to deal with the crowd that might rush Franklin Street.

Mecimore said the amount of police involvement is different for each game.

“It depends entirely on the circumstances,” he said. “We don’t close the streets unless we absolutely have to.”

The Chapel Hill Fire Department staffs an extra 12 to 15 people for rivalry and tournament games, said Deputy Fire Chief Matt Lawrence.

“We staff additional trucks and have them in location in the event that there’s a mass crowd,” he said. “On other regular season games we don’t provide additional staff.”

Lawrence said in an email that the extra staff costs an estimated $200 per hour. The extra fire department staff must be on duty for a minimum of two hours.

Lawrence said that figure does not include costs associated with fuel and other supplies that might be needed.

Mecimore said Franklin Street has been damaged by fans’ activity in the past.

He said bonfires — which are illegal — were built in the street after previous games and have damaged the roadway.

“If you drive up to the main intersection, there are some significant dips in the road,” he said.

But that doesn’t mean the town condemns rushing Franklin Street.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said Kleinschmidt, who said he has rushed Franklin many times. “It’s one of those things we’re well-known for, and we do it in a safe way.”

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.