The 2016 edition of Firefly is rolling along, and while for the most part the four-day music festival has gone off without a hitch, there are some issues like occasional medical emergencies.
A large crowd gathered early Friday evening at the Firefly Backyard stage to hear Icelandic group Of Monsters and Men.
Then suddenly, security guards from the side of the stage shouted for a path to be cleared for a girl experiencing a medical emergency.
A few people from each of the main Firefly stages had to be escorted off due to medical emergencies.
Philip Agliano is a supervisor for EMS at Firefly this year. He says it’s his first year working at Firefly, but he normally works Dover’s annual NASCAR events, among others.
He says the most common issues he sees are cuts and scrapes, and dehydration.
“Young people out all day in the sun, they don’t drink enough enough, dehydrate and then if they’re enjoying adult beverages as well it just adds to the problem,” Agliano said.
Agliano couldn’t say how many people had to be transported to the hospital, but as of late Friday said that they’ve seen about 50-75 people in the EMS tent. However – he said the majority of them just stopped by to ask for a Band-Aid.
He says there are four medical compounds, one for each division of the Firefly festival and a hospital compound at the track.
Luden’s, a throat lozange company, was handing out free packs of throat drops. Luden’s spokesman Jason Banks says it makes sense for his company.
"We’re here because fans are screaming their heads off, need to soothe their throats and this is appropriate for that," Banks said.
The company shows up at several festivals across the country, but this is its first time at Firefly.
It’s heading to Pitchfork in Chicago in July, FYF in LA in August and Music Midtown in Atlanta in September to hand out its wild cherry, strawberry banana, watermelon and blue raspberry throat drops. Blue raspberry has been the most popular at Firefly.
