San Luis Obispo County will declare this year’s St. Fratty’s Day celebration a “mass casualty incident.”
Local emergency officials are preparing for thousands of Cal Poly students to flood the streets over St. Patrick’s Day weekend– an event that has led to serious injuries in the past.
SLO Police Department Spokesperson Christine Wallace said a “mass casualty” declaration doesn’t necessarily mean deaths– it’s a pre-emptive measure the city and county use for crowded events.
“The declarations are often done in advance of a large-scale event to provide emergency services and local hospitals the ability to upstaff and increase resources in case something happens,” Wallace said.
The County’s Emergency Medical Services Agency will issue the declaration Saturday morning. Once the declaration is in effect, emergency officials will assess the capacity of local hospitals in case people get hurt.
According to Wallace, it is unclear when the declaration will end, but officials will likely lift it once crowds disperse.
