Behind the scenes with the Vail Fire Department at Championships Plaza

Monday night’s Opening Ceremonies of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships at Championships Plaza at Solaris will be a proud moment for Deputy Fire Chief Mike McGee and other members of the Vail Fire Department. The transformation of Solaris into the entertainment venue for the Championships has involved careful coordination by the department.

Structural load calculations for the second floor balcony at Solaris were confirmed to ensure the additional weight of the lighting and stage would be within limits. Even the Audi on display was considered as part of the plan.  It was set on the balcony with a crane.  Scaffolding plans were reviewed and the installation was inspected by a structural engineer.

The configuration of the Solaris Plaza will change slightly after the Opening Ceremonies to accommodate the concert stage.  The plaza has a capacity of about 4,000 people.  The venue from Solaris to Checkpoint Charlie has a capacity of approximately 7,000 to possibly 8,000 people. 

Deputy Fire Chief Mike McGee leads a tour at Solaris.

Lead Public Information Officer, Public Safety Command
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships


Familiarization tours have been conducted for fire personnel and pre-response plans have been formulated in preparation for the activities.

Deputy Chief McGee says the property is in good shape, plans, procedures and systems are all up ad running as designed and we are as NASA would characterize it in "All systems GO" status.

Contact: Suzanne Silverthorn, ssilverthorn@vailgov.com, 970-748-5908