As we continue to tell the story of the Marian Days festival, it is essential to talk about the work that goes into ensuring a safe experience for all those who partake. As the onsite restaurants in the tent city are being constructed, the Fire and Public Works departments tour each tent to discuss safety hazards in preparation for the thousands of folks who will dine in throughout the weeklong festivities. Big items on their list are fire and trip hazards, along with proper emergency lighting and exit signs in the event of an emergency. The Jasper County Health Department is also onsite to survey those selling food and drinks.
It was amazing to watch, as the operators of the tents were being alerted to potential hazards. They had on-hand electricians who went to work fixing the issues right away. The tent operators are volunteers for their church or other Catholic Ministries. Fire and Public Works begin their inspections early in the week, to be able to give time for the operators to properly set up, so they are ready to begin serving customers by Wednesday evening.
The ingenuity is incredible. Over the years those running the tent city restaurants have found more efficient ways to feed the large quantities of folks that come through. One of the tent operators said at times they serve about 2600 people in a 30-minute window. Wow! To be able to handle an immense rush of people in such a short amount of time, they definitely find ways to improve. Such as the pulley system they use to move large quantities of rice noodles from in and out of the vat of boiling broth.
The tent city would not run without power. CWEP ensures drop panels are ready to go throughout the grounds. Another important feature CWEP assists with is connecting the fiber to the temporary cell towers. This helps to ensure that our permanent towers are not overloaded with the influx of people.
IT begins preparations a month prior to the festival and stays on-hand during the event to ensure video surveillance, Wi-Fi, dispatch, and other devices are all running smoothly. One of the biggest functions of the IT department is to ensure the mobilized command center dispatch is set-up, and functional at all times.
Fire and additional emergency personnel from Mercy Emergency Medical Services are onsite with additional gear and equipment. The Carthage Fire Department stages a brush truck onsite in the event of a large fire. They also are prepared to assist and maneuver through the crowd with their UTV equipped with a medical bag, extra fire extinguishers and a water tank able to put out a small fire. Mercy EMS has their mobile medical unit that is small and agile enough to make its way through the crowd to assist patients onsite. They staff to cover the four main days of the event, providing 24-hour availability. They also have an ambulance staged nearby to be able to transport patients quickly to the hospital.
Public Works also works closely with the Carthage Police Department to ensure that roadblocks and barricades are set and in place to properly navigate traffic flow. As well as assist with the procession logistics as thousands participate in over an hour-long procession down Grand Ave and around the neighborhood on Saturday afternoon.
Another BIG thank you goes to Butterball. They supplied about 2.5 tons of ice for the event. The CPD and Fire Department bagged the ice and housed it in a trailer provided by John Bartosh. The ice is used for medical emergencies due to the excessive heat and to keep water cool for the officers on duty at the various checkpoints.
This weeklong festival takes many man hours to create a successful and safe event. From the Fathers at the CRM to those operating the tent city, Mercy EMS and our City staff, there is a wide range of occupations and skills that go into creating, operating and maintaining the safety of this beautiful tent city.