Austin, TX – July 1, 2010 – First Medical Response of Texas was tapped to plan and coordinate the safety and medical stand-by services at Central Texas’ largest organized boating event of the year, the fifth annual AquaPalooza Signature Event, which will be held July 9th and 10th at The Reserve at Lake Travis.
According to Edwin Reyes, President of First Medical Response of Texas, the AquaPalooza Signature Event is expected to draw as many as 35,000 people in over 3,000 boats to Lake Travis. “Planning for an event of this size is a pretty big challenge on land but adding the water and boating elements makes planning that much more important,” Reyes says. “Fortunately, we’re working with highly professional teams from AquaPalooza and the Lake Travis Task Force, both of which emphasize safety and responsible boating.”
AquaPalooza is a two day boating event was started four years ago by Sea Ray Boats. This year marks the first year the AquaPalooza Signature Event will be held at Lake Travis. Reyes says of the event: “Our safety protocols will be put to the test but we are prepared for every kind emergency. We’ll have ambulances, water safety personnel and a 24 foot safety trailer where we can treat all manner of medical problems from scrapes and bruises to heat stroke and cardiac arrest.”
This year’s AquaPalooza Signature Event offers games, boating demonstrations and a live concert featuring country music star, Brad Paisley. Reyes is no stranger to activity-packed events such as these and knows the risks involved when thousands gather at an all-day event involving water, alcohol, exposure to sun and heat, and live music. First Medical Response has provided safety services to Reggae Fest for several years at Auditorium Shores. According to Terry Costigan, an organizer of Reggae Fest, safety for the participants is as important as the fun provided at the event itself. “If the event is not safe, the event will develop a bad reputation and attendance will suffer,” Costigan says. “Fortunately, First Medical Response of Texas has taken great care of all our safety and Paramedic issues over the years.”
The reputation First Medical Response has developed since its founding in 1995 seems to be paying off despite the slow economy. “We’ve seen the number of events where we provide safety and medical stand-by services rise almost 50% in the last 18 months,” Reyes says. “We’ve had to hire 30 highly-trained emergency staff to accommodate the safety needs of our customers, and we now have ambulance stations in Austin, Pflugerville and San Antonio.”
The AquaPalooza event will be the 150th event First Medical Response has coordinated this year. Reyes expects boaters attending the event will have a typical Lake Travis experience full of sun and good times. But if the unexpected does occur then he says his team of highly-trained safety professionals will be ready.
About First Medical Response of Texas
Since 1995, First Medical Response of Texas has been providing safety and stand-by medical services for sporting events, fairs, concerts and other public events throughout Austin and Central Texas. Today, First Medial Response of Texas is among the largest independently-owned ambulance and safety services in Central Texas. For more information about First Medical Response of Texas or the kinds of services it provides, please visit: www.firstmedicalresponse.org or call 512-233-4929.
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