Knokke-Heist (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Knokke-Heist will implement a one-day heat plan to assist residents and tourists during a heatwave including extended facility hours and increased police presence due to expected crowds and past disturbances.
On 6th August 2024 in Knokke-Heist they will start a heat plan for one day to help people cope with the heatwave. The plan involves things like opening places with air conditioning, keeping local facilities open longer and giving out things to help people stay cool and hydrated. It’s all to make sure everyone stays safe and comfortable during the hot weather. If the hot weather continues or gets worse they might keep the heat plan going for longer in Knokke-Heist. Mayor Morbee said they will decide based on how hot it stays and how it affects everyone. They want to make sure people especially those who struggle in extreme heat stay safe and well.
What measures is Knokke-Heist taking to ensure tourist safety?
All police officers in Knokke-Heist will be working without taking time off to prepare for the influx of tourists.This way there will be plenty of officers working to manage the big crowds well. The tourists are not just from the North who can sometimes cause trouble but also from other areas moving their fun to the beach. To handle more trash from the extra visitors they’ll collect garbage more often in Knokke-Heist. Guards will watch the sea wall more to keep things safe and solve any problems caused by lots of people. These steps are to make sure both locals and tourists have a good time in the area.
In July 2024 there were big problems in Knokke-Heist with Dutch young people causing trouble. The local authorities asked for help from the Netherlands because things were very tense. They needed extra Dutch police to handle the situation well.It has been said that the trouble was so bad that they needed help from Dutch police. Mayor Morbee said this situation was unique because Dutch young people were involved due to how they vacation. Dutch visitors usually stay in Knokke-Heist for short holidays about a week which is different from ongoing local problems.
For a big event people coming from different places like Northern France they want more security. They can’t work with French police directly so they’re asking the federal police for more officers. Local forces from Bruges will also help to make sure everything is managed well and safe. Last week they got ready for really hot weather for two days but it wasn’t needed. The speaker says it’s better to be overly prepared than not enough. They want to be cautious and proactive in dealing with extreme heat to keep everyone safe and well.
