Click here to watch a video about five things to know about local law enforcement's role in setting up Hangout Music Festival 2024 and maintaining order and safety during the three-day event.

Gulf Coast Media went Tuesday, May 14, to check out the construction and set up and talk with the City of Gulf Shores about their role, along with law enforcement and first responders from the island as well as the FBI and Homeland Security, in making Hangout one of the safest music festivals of its kind in the country, as perceived by festival organizers and other groups and municipalities involved in the industry.

"We don't want to make people think we don't know it's a huge inconvenience," said Grant Brown, director of Recreation & Cultural Affairs and public information officer for the City of Gulf Shores.

But, he said, the city and its elected officials have to balance that with the quality of life the festival affords the city, its residents and its visitors the other 50 weeks of the year, among other sources of tourism revenue. A 2013 study found Hangout that year produced a $40 million economic impact.

Here are some other facts to know:

• Hangout started in 2010 as an effort to show the nation the Gulf Coast would survive the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Acts such as Brad Paisely, Bon Jovi and Jimmy Buffet performed. Brown said the success of the festival over the years has given the city confidence to pursue other tourism-based events that bring revenue to the city, such as the NCAA beach volleyball national championships and other large-scale sports tourism.

• The public safety headquarters set up at the festival can press a button that communicates to every stage in the case of a weather or other emergency.

• Gulf Shores police and city staff traveled to Las Vegas after the mass shooting on the Strip in 2017 for training and lessons on prevention and situational reactions.

• The length of beach that is closed during the festival is around a half-mile.

• In addition to local law enforcement from both island departments and the county sheriff's office, the FBI and National Homeland Security have personnel on site and monitoring social media.

• Law enforcement uses drones during and especially after the festival to monitor traffic flow in real time so they can send officers to adjust routes as needed.

• Public safety headquarters includes a pop-up hospital and jail.

• At least 350 police credentials are distributed for the event, and no services are taken from regular jurisdictions. The festival reimburses the city for "well over half a million" to pay for the extra law enforcement, fire, first responders and public works personnel.

• The festival employs 600-700 private security personnel.

• The city receives business licenses, hotel stays, lodging tax and increased spending in the area.

• There is an Ambassador Program, run by a Gulf Shores resident, that residents who live in the vicinity can call with questions or concerns.