I get it. When someone is in medical distress, it can be scary. But in light of Kaskade‘s response to the LA Times article about raves and substance-related deaths, I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to talk about festival safety. Security and festival organizers can only do so much to ensure the health and safety of the thousands of people in their venue. They can only anticipate so much. We as festival goers attend these events because we love the music, we love the culture, we love to have fun.
So why do people turn a blind eye towards others who are in need of help? We are all there to celebrate our love of electronic music, we talk about rave fams and PLUR but why is it so easy to ignore others who could just as easily have been us? It’s time to talk festival safety.
Most festivals will have a section of their website devoted to safety. Read before the festival! For example, Insomniac offers some safety tips here. DanceSafe is another great resource with safety tips and advice for electronic festival attendees.
The following are ten tips about festival safety and what YOU as a non-trained medic can do to help either if someone is in distress or as a preventative measure.
First let’s talk preventative measures you can take. These are things you can do to prevent any medical problems.
1. Know where medical staff/medical tents are.
It won’t do anyone any good if someone needs help and no one knows where the medics are. Familiarize yourself with the layout of the festival. Know where water stations, medical tents and security stations are.
2. Know the climate and dress accordingly.
I’m sure your new spirit hood is really cute, but if you’re going to a festival in a hot and arid climate, maybe opt for a crop top and shorts.
3. Know the warning signs.
Understanding what to look for is just as important as knowing what to do if someone needs help. If someone is flushed or has trouble standing, understand that this might be someone who needs help. Maybe they don’t, but it’s always best to know the signs.
4. Be aware.
Dehydration and hyperthermia aren’t the only dangers at festivals. Sometimes our other festival goers can be a danger as well, especially for young women. Unfortunately, sexual assault can happen at festivals (let’s be real it can happen anywhere), so be aware. If you see someone dancing up on someone else who is clearly not having it, then intervene. I did this once for a girl and she was so thankful. Let’s look out for each other.
5. Have a designated meeting place.
Your phone is dead, you lost your friends and suddenly you’re in a crowd of people you don’t know. Sound familiar? If you’re at a festival with friends, make sure you can always find each other. There is safety in numbers and besides, it’s more fun to party with friends!
Now that we’ve talked prevention, let’s imagine that the worst happens and you happen upon someone who doesn’t look okay. Because you’re aware (#4) and you know the warning signs (#3), you know this person might need help. So what do you do?
6. Ask if they need help.
This one is kind of a no-brainer but you’d be surprised how many people just assume someone is okay. It takes three seconds to ask someone if they’re okay and you might have saved a life in those three seconds.
7. Help them out of the crowd.
It gets hot in there. Regardless if its EDC, Ultra or some tiny festival with a name no one outside the state will recognize, when you’re dancing with a lot of people it gets hot. If someone looks ill or unsteady on their feet, help them out of the crowd to sit down or rest somewhere. Rest can work miracles.
8. Offer water if someone needs it.
It’s a festival. There are water stations all over the place and practically everyone and their sister have a water bottle with them. Share some water. Dehydration and hyperthermia (overheating) can happen when you’re dancing in a huge crowd for hours on end. Many of the deaths that occur at festivals are because of dehydration and hyperthermia and it’s sad that so many people are walking around with water and no one thinks to help.
9. Talk to them.
Sometimes people can get overwhelmed at festivals. Maybe they can’t find their friends or they’re having a bad trip. Talking to someone and letting them know that they’re safe and that you’re going to help them can really help someone.
10. Remember that you are not a medically trained professional.
Don’t attempt to give CPR because you saw it on Grey’s Anatomy. Help the person as much as you can, but leave the real medical stuff to the trained professionals. You could do more harm than good if you try to help without knowing how.
This list is by no means comprehensive, but just some tips to keep in mind. Remember, live and party with PLURR, because that extra R (responsibility) is so important. At these events we are all family, and we should all look out for one another. Huge shout out to Kaskade for sparking this conversation! Festival safety is everyone’s responsibility.