To ensure that certain activities don’t get out of hand during Veishea weekend, 100 students will contribute to the safety of their peers.

The Party Response Team and members of Peer Security will be patrolling campus and off-campus areas in conjunction with the Ames Police Department and the Department of Public Safety to facilitate potential problems.

If the groups do encounter problems, their objective is to talk to students before situations become dangerous or before laws or ordinances are broken.

The Party Response Team’s 20 members will patrol the community to visit parties and oversee student activity.

Both the Party Response Team and the 80-member Peer Security team will wear brightly colored shirts with identification printed on the back.

Both groups will operate an information booth at Taste of Veishea and will patrol Welch Ave., Rock Veishea, Dew the Rec and the Veishea parade.

These student volunteers chose to support a safe and alcohol-free Veishea, and will help students avoid unpleasant situations with law enforcement agencies.

Brad James, co-chairman of the Risk Management Committee and spokesperson for Peer Security, said volunteers have attended four training sessions led by professionals from the Ames Police Department, DPS and Mary Greeley Medical Center.

“Peer Security volunteers received training in conflict management, rules and regulations, self-defense and first aid,” James said. “It is not their role to take the place of the police or DPS. They will serve as eyes and ears for them.”

James said Peer Security workers want to help protect students during Veishea.

“We will warn them of infractions they might not be aware of,” he said. “Students are receptive of other students. Peer security will listen to students and be understanding. We want to help students keep out of trouble.”

James said each volunteer is making an important contribution to Veishea and to the safety of students.

Kaleb Varrellmann of the Party Response Team said workers will be touring the community in university vehicles in pairs.

He said the workers will visit locations where parties appear to be in progress, introduce themselves and ask how many guests are expected.

“For instance, if we see couches in the lawns, we will inform them of regulations that exist in Ames,” Varrellmann said. “We won’t be giving any tickets. We are their first warning. We want to keep people calm.”

The Party Response Team received special training in conflict management, interacting with landlords and tenants, working with groups and keeping activities safe.

In addition, the Party Response Team offers another safety feature, the Veishea hotline. Between 5 and 9 p.m., community members or students can call 294-4386 on Friday and Saturday nights of Veishea.

Varrellmann said the hotline will answer concerns from students or community members and can be called if a student or neighbor thinks a party is getting out of control.

“We will be set up at the Armory with DPS,” Varrellmann said.

“The hotline is not for emergencies, and we won’t take the place of the police or DPS. We will have radio communication between response team members on patrol and our base,” he said.

Varrellmann added that most of the volunteers want to be involved with Veishea because they want to see it continue.

“We are not enforcers or there to lay down the law,” Varrellmann said. “We are friends of students and want to inform them of laws and ordinances. We want to be the ones to tell them, not the police.”