It’s a night of entertainment and fun — but also a night to be aware of your surroundings.

The countdown is on to New Year's Eve in downtown Orlando.

Several blocks of Orange Avenue will be closed to traffic. Not only will individual bars and clubs be packed, but thousands will end up on Church Street for the annual orange drop and fireworks show.

For event directors and law enforcement, ensuring safety with that many people in one place is a detailed process.

“On New Year’s, we’re expecting about 5,000 people," Wall Street Plaza Events Director Paul Emery said. “We’re one city block and eight venues, so it’s still a good time with that amount of people, but it’s thousands of your closest friends."

That’s just at one party at Wall Street Plaza. So Orlando Police are making safety across downtown their top priority on New Year's Eve.

"We will have patrols out, and we will have officers in the downtown core area on foot, bicycle, in cars and on horses," Orlando Police Sgt. Wanda Miglio said in an email.

"We won't discuss specifics of the measures taken — that is for both officer safety and for the safety of our residents and visitors. But we want to assure everyone that there are measures that are visible — and those that are not visible — by the public," Miglio said.

Off-duty officers will be among the downtown crowds, too.

“We do hire off-duty officers from OPD, as well as have our own security team," Emery said. "Everybody will be wanded and patted down as they come in, because you can’t have a good party unless you’re safe."

Police want revelers to know they should report any suspicious activity.

"We really rely on citizens to be our eyes and ears. Never hesitate to call police if something seems suspicious, dangerous or otherwise suspect. Call 911, flag down an officer. See something, say something," Miglio said.

“Safety is always a priority. Like I said, you can’t have fun unless you’re feeling safe," Emery said.