Officer proud to help keep runners safe
Lieutenant Audrea George became a police officer because of the Oklahoma City bombing. So working the OKC Memorial Marathon is a big deal to her.
Lieutenant Audrea George loves it when a plan comes together. As head of the special events unit for the Oklahoma City Police Department, George is in charge of traffic flow, security and safety for all permitted events around the metro area. From political demonstrations and music festivals to Thunder games, George is in charge of making sure people can get to the events easily and making sure police are present and in the right position should something go wrong.
After taking over the job two years ago, George has helped oversee dozens of major events, but none require as much planning and coordination as the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.
“We started working on the marathon back in January,” George said. “We try to make every event run smoothly, but the marathon is special.
“We know how much it means to everybody because it means a lot to us.”
George became a police officer because of the Oklahoma City bombing.
She saw the devastation to the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building when an explosion ripped through it, claiming the lives of 168 people.
But she also saw the helpers.
In the aftermath of the bombing, crews from precincts all across the metro area banded together to help in search and rescue, cleanup as well as normal police duties.
George said she was working as a server at El Chico at the time and would often wait on the very same police officers who spent their days downtown.
“I saw the different officers who had been working long hours,” George said. “I wanted to help.”
George signed up for patrol school, graduated in the first class after the bombing.
“It was a feeling of accomplishment to be a part of that time,” George said. “Everybody coming together was very special.”
George said her unit recognizes how special the marathon is in the story of Oklahoma City.
With more than 22,000 runners already registered and thousands more expected to be cheering friends and loved ones on the path along the way, George said it’s her team’s goal to be present, but not intrusive.
“We want to make sure that it’s an enjoyable event that people want to come back and do it year after year,” George said. “It’s pretty special to be a part of that, the entire city really comes together.”
The special events unit takes great pride in making sure they stay abreast of the latest procedures and best practices from other organizations from across the country.
This December, George and her team met with different agencies who put on events around the United States.
“It’s a lot of manpower hours,” George said. “We meet with the Memorial team and meet with the different agencies like fire and EMSA and public works.
“It takes a lot of personnel to actually put it on.”
But that is part of what George loves about the Memorial Marathon.
It’s lots of work, preparation and stress, but the community strength and camaraderie keep everything running smoothly.
“This is our city’s marathon,” George said. “The meaning that it has ... the bombing really brought our city together and it showed the world what it looks like when a city does ban together.”