Highlighting the necessity for a mass casualty system as Coachella approaches, due to Astroworld devastation

Festival season is approaching, with the likes of the renowned Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival taking place in just under 3 weeks. It’s a breath of fresh air to be witnessing festivals again after the world has been battling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. But with more large gatherings and events, this brings serious concerns about health and safety procedures.

Mass gathering event ‘Astroworld Festival’ took place in November 2021 and brought devastating news

After what should be a night of celebration and joy for attendees, it turned disastrous as a crowd surged towards the stage resulting in 10 fatalities and many injuries. Nearly 50,000 attended the outdoor festival held at NRG Park in Houston Texas and the accident took place around 9PM.

“The quick response from Astroworld security and staff on site undoubtedly saved even more people from being hurt or worse.” - US Weekly

Alongside onsite staff, Houston Police Department provided hundreds of officers prior to the incident for extra security. But according to one of the injured attendees, Manuel Souza labeled the tragedy ‘predictable and preventable’ and is pressing charges. The Harris County medical examiner's office released their findings one month after the festival, declaring that all of the deaths were accidents due to "compression asphyxia.” 

How can we support large festivals such as Coachella?

We are hopeful that after tragic events such as Astroworld, event organizers are doing everything they can to put action plans in place to avoid such incidents. For Coachella Valley Festival, they state that they work hand in hand with the public law enforcement and public safety agencies as well as medical tents throughout the park. But how do we know that this is enough? Of course, nobody can predict what events will occur, but organizations can prepare for mass casualty incidents as much as possible by ensuring that they have the proper procedures in place as well as equipment. Medical research revealed that after a mass casualty incident, there are a ‘platinum ten minutes’ to react effectively in order to save lives. 

At TyTek we recognise the necessity for event medicine provision in the form of military inspired equipment, to act within those precious ten minutes and save lives. We are here to educate, equip and empower during the worst circumstances, such as the devastation of Astroworld 2021. For deliberate attacks or accidents, we can provide necessary support to save lives before first responders arrive.

A unique do-it-all MCI System (Mass Casualty Incident)

Our MCI system comes with 2 kit bags that allow for mobile and instant care. The system caters for many different types of injuries and severe traumas such as hemorrhage, burn airway compromise, pneumothorax, and hypothermia. This is essential in places that attract large numbers of people, as access for emergency services could be slightly delayed. In events such as festivals where light can be compromised, we have brought this into consideration by adding unique extendable floodlights, enabling rescuers to focus on the trauma rather than scramble for light. Our kit is designed to support at least 4 patients, and most of its contents are applicable for basic skill level use.