Fewer calls for service, hospital visits for Paradiso
Concertgoers at The Gorge Amphitheater are screened before entering the venue. Hospital and law enforcement experts report a drop in emergency room patients and calls for service for this year's event.
GEORGE - Quincy Valley Medical Center staff reported about half as many patients in their emergency room as last year from The Gorge Amphitheatre's electronic music festival, Paradiso.
Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones reported the same number of arrests over the weekend, but fewer calls for service during the two-day festival that had an increased police and medical presence after a 21-year-old western Washington man died from drug-use and dehydration during last year's event.
"Aside from the small number of people who were responsible for a small percentage of crime or bad behavior, the majority of the concertgoers were polite and just wanted to have a good time," Jones said.
Spokesperson Michele Wurl said four patients from this year's festival were transported to other area hospital's after initially being treated at QVMC.
The Gorge General Manager Danny Wilde said owner Live Nation spent $1.5 million after last year's festival to combat the rampant drug use, lack of water and emergency personnel. He said they added a full-time physician, 24 water faucets, more crowd managements experts and sheriff's deputies to patrol for crimes.
"Our prevention efforts had a positive impact on crowd safety; the on-site ambulance service performed 36.5 percent fewer transports to area hospitals for this event during the same event in 2013," he stated.
He added that so far this year, fewer people are being taken to area hospitals, mainly QVMC, than were taken during last year's concert events.
Earlier in the year, Rep. Matt Manweller called for a $1 increase in ticket fees at The Gorge to compensate Quincy Valley Medical Center for increased staff and unpaid bills from concertgoers and Grant County Fire District No. 3 for calls for service.
Grant County Commissioner Carolann Swartz said that any tax revenue that came from the venue would have to go through the county commission for distribution, not directly to the hospital or fire district.