Kennywood officials spoke about updated security measures following a shooting at the park on Saturday night.
Kennywood said the new security system is a high-tech detection system from Evolve.
They say he scans the bags without anyone physically checking them.
Kennywood general manager Mark Pauls said: “It’s a fast system. You don’t even know it’s happening.”
Kennywood said the new security system allows visitors to move around while being checked.
“They have an exact monitor sitting there and they can tell what’s in your right front pocket. So they address that. So everybody that passes, it’s okay, we let them go, we’re like go, go on, go on, they wouldn’t even slow down,” Pauls said.
He said the detector was working on Saturday evening when shots rang out and injured three people. He said people can walk through with metal objects, such as phones and keys, and the system will alert operators to anything suspicious, such as weapons.
Kennywood also has a new bag policy which states that only bags in the dimensions 8″ x 5″ x 1″ as well as medical and diaper bags are permitted. To give an example, this is the size of a small pouch.
When the shooting happened, the crowd desperately tried to get out of the park. So Action News 4 from Pittsburgh asked about the park’s emergency response plan. Pauls said that in an emergency, the park can open multiple gates, instead of using the tunnel to exit.
“It applies to all kinds of situations to be able to open these doors. We can’t say to go to door B, because they don’t even know where door B is, people in this area open this door and let people go outside,” Pauls said.
On Saturday night, Kennywood said security believed there was a disturbance in the tunnel and had advised people against using it until it was safe.
They said they would work with employees to improve communication so park visitors understand how to get out of the park.
The park says the security detection system will be in place Friday when the park reopens.
