MANHATTAN, Kan. – The most well attended Country Stampede Music Festival actually turned out to be one of the calmest as far as the Riley County Emergency Medical Services team is concerned.
Riley County commissioners received a statistical recap of the four-day event during a meeting on Monday. Encounters for Riley County EMS increased from 100 in 2011 to 141 this year but that spike can be attributed to larger crowds.
“Our busiest year in the last four years was 2009 and that year we had 148 contacts,” Larry Couchman, Riley County EMS Director, said. “This year was similar to 2009, but quieter than 2010 and 2011.”
Of the 141 patients, 31 came to the Riley County EMS tent because of alcohol primary problems while 42 were treated for heat-related issues.
“The dynamics of the campground have changed,” Couchman said. “Over the years, that (alcohol) has been a problem area. The last couple years we’ve seen that change.”
Other agencies assisted Riley County EMS throughout the course of the four-day festival. The efforts of the Festival First Aid, Campsite First Aid, and Blue Township Fire Rescue volunteers brought the overall total number of patients seen to 516.
“It’s truly a community effort and we’re only successful because of our staff and its dedication,” Couchman said.
Couchman added that his staff’s experience played a big role in the overall success of this year’s event.
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This Friday, June 29, will be last day for Riley County residents who have last names starting with H or I to renew their vehicle tags without penalty.
Riley County treasurer Eileen King hopes to see more people taking care of their renewals earlier in the week.
“What I would like to stress to all of the H and I people, and any of the E, F, and G’s that didn’t come in in May, do not wait until Friday afternoon.”
King acknowledged that the new computer system has been encountering problems toward the end of the work week.
“We’ve only been on this system for two months,” King said. “It’s going to take us a while to get as proficient as we were with the old system.”
The treasurer’s office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
