Door County Emergency Management Director Jeb Saelens hopes you see the county’s new safety barriers at events throughout the peninsula this summer and that you feel safer because of them.

After borrowing the Sturgeon Bay Police Department’s set of safety barriers for select events, including Sister Bay Fall Fest, last year, Door County Emergency Management debuted its own barriers at last weekend’s Ephraim Fyr Bal.

The mobile safety barriers are designed to protect festival attendees by preventing unauthorized vehicles from entering gathering areas.

The purchase of the safety barriers was made possible in part by a grant from Destination Door County’s Community Investment Fund, which has turned room tax dollars into more than $3.7 million in support of 66 projects throughout the peninsula.

Saelens said he had been looking into adding mobile safety barriers ever since he took the job with Door County, and he is happy to see them being deployed.

He hopes more local municipalities, event organizers, law enforcement agencies, fire departments and community partners reach out to his department to identify opportunities to strengthen event safety and preparedness.