VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It’s all hands on deck for Virginia Beach EMS this weekend. About one-third of the volunteer rescue squads are working the event.
“We’ve never done something like this. We have had large events that last four, six hours. We have never had a three-day festival,” explained Mike Lewis, EMS Division Chief of Operations.
FULL COVERAGE: Everything you need to know about Something in the Water
More than 70,000 people are expected to show up for the Something in the Water Festival. If something goes wrong, EMS is there to help.
Long-time volunteer Ellen McBride said, “This is why we do it, for these kinds of things where we can be involved. We can reach out and help people.”
Officials said 10 ambulances are committed to the Oceanfront area. Crews will walk, bike and be available to help anyone at any time.
Lewis said, “What we are going to do is work with the resources that we have -- smaller carts, ATV’s -- to get to people a little bit quicker in those densely populated areas instead of putting large ambulances out in the street. Sometimes that’s not the safest route to get someone out.”
Lewis said EMS has a partnership with Sentara Healthcare. They’ll provide a mobile emergency room on 8th Street staffed with doctors and nurses.
“They will have medical coverage that’s quick and easy. They can be stabilized and then we can determine if they need to go somewhere else,” Lewis explained.
Lewis said they’re prepared and ready to tackle anything
“We are excited. We want to come back and we want this to be what Virginia Beach is known for.”
EMS officials said there will still be plenty ambulances and staff that won’t be at the festival and responding to calls in Virginia Beach.