Vero Beach Air Show relies on massive, expertly coordinated security operation

The headliners of the Vero Beach Air Show might be the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, but it takes a small army of dedicated law enforcement officers to safeguard the pilots, a half-billion dollars in military planes and equipment, and a record crowd of more than 80,000 onlookers this year.

Officers from eight different city, county, state and federal agencies work together for five days from the time the Blue Angels advance crew lands until the last plane departs, clocking nearly 2,000 man hours. From the Sheriff’s Office SWAT operators to Federal Aviation Administration, FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents to Indian River County Fire-Rescue and a U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Medevac helicopter crew, the entire security team works under one unified command during air show events that is headed up by Vero Beach Police Department Lt. Matt Harrelson.

Keeping the focus on the fun motivates Harrelson. “I really hope people had a good time, that they enjoyed being at an air show that has so much to offer. These little kids look up at the planes flying past and they’re just like, it’s the coolest thing ever! They’re just in awe,” Harrelson said.

Harrelson, who marked his 30-year service anniversary with the city in April, took charge of air show security in 2016. Planning begins a year in advance.

According to Rob Lucas, who chairs the air show board, “Security’s really a key component because without that we don’t have a show. Their support is absolutely paramount to what we do.”

A massive air show at a city-run airport is a “soft target” in law enforcement parlance, and it’s Harrelson’s responsibility to make it hard for bad actors to do harm. He says his motto is “Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.”

“We can’t say enough about how much Matt helps us. Matt’s wonderful. How he jumps in there with his fellow police officers [and makes sure we get] anything we need – they’re just great,” Lucas said.

Blue Angels liaison and Air Show Executive Director Lt. Col. Jeff Devlin, a barrier island resident and retired 22-year U.S. Marine Corps pilot who flew F-18s for 12 years, also gives Vero’s security top marks.

“I’ve seen a lot of military shows, and I can tell you the security that Lt. Harrelson puts in place [includes] … elements of security that keep the public safe that they’re not even aware are happening, and Matt orchestrates all that, plus all the people that you can see.” Devlin said.

Harrelson staffs the event with the assistance of Sheriff Eric Flowers and lays out clear expectations.

“I work well with all of those men and women at the Sheriff’s Department, and to be brutally honest, we couldn’t do it without them,” Harrelson said.

Harrelson uses old-school paper maps showing color-coded zones with everyone’s location and written schedules and instructions because, “People see police officers scrolling on their phones and that’s not a good look,” he said.

Vero police and sheriff’s deputies handle parking, bag checks, crowd control, bicycle patrol, perimeter security, guarding the aircraft and airport around the clock, escorting the Blues to and from their hotel, and providing close security to all the pilots when they are interacting with the public.

A crew monitoring several high-tech drone sensors makes sure nothing dangerous flies into the airport zone. They detected and seized four drones during the show this year, Harrelson said. Police questioned the drone operators to rule out threats.

The only other incidents involved people passing out or getting ill from “feels like” temperatures in the 90s and virtually no shade as umbrellas pose a hazard to jet engines.

Within the crowd, plainclothes federal agents assess vulnerabilities in security coverage, looking for anything suspicious while roving K-9 units sniff out danger. Paramedics and SWAT stand by in case anything goes awry, ready to evacuate the Blue Angels pilots by ambulance or Coast Guard chopper.

Eight to 10 snipers from the Vero Beach Police Department watch over the entire airport, and there’s a Quick Response Force and a Critical Response Team. Every member of the security detail has a Vero Police Department radio issued to them by Harrelson, tuned to the same channel.

But that’s not all.

A state bomb squad is on site. National Guard troops sample the air for biohazards and chemical agents. A county Hazmat team and full complement of fire engines and ambulances stationed two minutes away can swoop in to respond to a crash, fire, explosion, fuel spill or multi-casualty incident.

Every element from traffic control to the movements of each Blue Angel pilot is carefully choreographed to maintain a deterrent uniformed presence, while unseen personnel operate in the background.

Officers work 12-hour shifts come rain or shine the Saturday and Sunday of the show, with shorter shifts during Wednesday through Friday’s Barnstormer nighttime shows. So as to not detract from non-air-show duties, show security is all overtime work, with the City of Vero Beach and the Indian River Sheriff’s Office funding it.

On top of the more than 80,000 people who attended at least one air show event last month, tens of thousands countywide enjoyed the Blue Angels’ practice runs and media day flights, or watched aerial acrobatics and fireworks from restaurants, bridges, parking lots, balconies, tailgates or at Piper Aircraft employee events.

Why is security so important? Beyond the obvious need to protect 80,000 lives and expensive government property, it keeps the Blue Angels coming back to Vero every two years.

“We were awarded the Air Show of the Year by the Blue Angels for 2024, and there are a lot of components to that, but one factor in our winning the award is security,” Devlin said, adding that Harrelson’s security management work was singled-out for excellence in the 2024 after-action report from the Blue Angels. “If there were issues, if there was a lack of security, that could be a reason that the Blues would not want to come back.”

The riskiest event of the whole air show is the Saturday night food festival under the oaks at Riverside Park where Blues pilots mingle with locals. But it’s also free and extremely popular.

“That event is my worst nightmare. It’s the chaos that people bring to a situation. You’ve got like 5,000 people, and none of them vetted. I don’t know who they are, and we’re just walking around. This is a totally uncontrollable situation,” Harrelson said, explaining that his officers must function like Belgian Malinois at the event, steady, watching and ready to pounce.

Close body security for high-profile VIPs with a cult-like following is not an everyday skill Vero Beach Police officers use on patrol, but over the years working with the Blues they’ve become seasoned experts. “We try to prepare for what might happen,” Harrelson said. “I’m always hyper-vigilant, scanning who’s there. This guy looks different. Why is he acting weird? Why is that guy so sweaty? That type of stuff.”

Why does Harrelson stand in the midst of crowds and the jet wash of hot engines all day and not in a command center?

“I don’t believe in running things from an air-conditioned room while my guys are out in the heat and the sun. These guys know I’ll jump out at an intersection and direct traffic just as quick as they will,” Harrelson said. “We’re trying to achieve a goal together as a unit.

“When you’re done at the end of that day, yeah, you’re exhausted, but we’re fist-bumping and saying great job. See you tomorrow,” he said.

Two inaugural events expanded the scope of festivities this year, a classic automobile show on the runway and a 2-mile runway run. Parking changed drastically. Airport parking normally used for the show was off-limits, set aside for travelers boarding commercial flights. Relegating parking to 43rd Avenue to funnel show guests through a single access checkpoint caused snags and grumbles.

Keeping the air show totally separate from the passenger jets was mandatory.

“I need to have an officer sit right on the tarmac where Breeze and American Airlines are in that sterile area to make sure nobody from the air show goes through there, because if the FAA sees that, they can shut everything down,” Harrelson said.

Devlin praised both the security team and airport staff for juggling show talent and commercial flights taking off and landing just before and after showtimes and making it seamless.

“As the Blues liaison, I’m kind of joined at the hip with Matt from the start of the planning, so I always know what’s going on and we’re always communicating,” Devlin said. “He’s such a professional that I don’t even think about it, to be honest with you. I just know it’s getting done. I know the Blues are going to be happy.”

“There are plenty of things I have to worry about during the weekend, but security is not one of them because of the Vero Police Department and how they execute,” Devlin said.

In exchange for dealing with every crisis, complaints and contingencies, Harrelson gets priceless up-close, hair-raising moments with the Blue Angels that ardent fans only dream about.

“The Number 4 jet just peeled across the tarmac. I’m telling you, he had to be like 30 feet off the ground. It looked like he was going to hit the fence, that’s how low he was,” Harrelson said of one of the two U.S. Marine Corps pilots who join the Navy pilots to make up the full Blues complement. “Holy cow, he was flying that thing like he stole it. I’ve never seen anybody fly like that. Then he lands and half the nosecone is white. I though he hit a bird, but he just peeled the paint off – that’s how fast he was going. They had to take it back and get it painted.

“These guys are phenomenal athletes, like Olympic athletes. They’re amazing. They know exactly what they’re doing and how to breathe and not pass out,” he said. “The practice runs they do give them visual cues, landmarks, things to look for when they’re doing turns or are upside down so they can get oriented.”

Former Vero mayor and current county commissioner Laura Moss is an avid air show supporter and unabashed Blue Angels fangirl. The late Col. Marty Zickert, Devlin’s predecessor as Blue Angels liaison, invited Moss to observe an air show security briefing several shows ago.

“I think most people … we tend to take it for granted, but it’s a monumental effort to protect the safety and security of the community, the Blue Angels and their aircraft,” Moss said. “And it’s 24 hours a day for the entire time the Blues are here. It’s really a colossal effort.”

After five shows in 10 years, Harrelson is committed to complete at least one more air show mission. “I don’t think I’m ready to fly off into the sunset with one of the Blues just yet,” he laughed. “I plan to be here for the next air show in 2028.”

In the meantime, Harrelson is in charge of securing Vero Beach events celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, culminating July 4th weekend.