ATCEMS activates ROT Rally safety plan for the weekend

The ROT Rally safety plan is designed for everyone, especially first timers like Jesus Ramos. He rolled in from North Texas Friday afternoon. "For me, yeah, it’s a bucket list. because I retire in 5 years, I want to get this out of the way before I do, when I do retire I might come down here every year. I don’t know we'll see how it goes,” said Ramos.

Others, like Nadia Alvarez and her husband spent the afternoon shaking off the fatigue from a much longer road trip.  They are from Mexico and drove 23 hours covering 1000 miles. 

“Yes. its real important,” explained Alvarez when asked why make such a long journey.

Rally veterans, like Big Ed Servano, offered this advice for the newbies in town.

"You have to ride defensively, you always have to anticipate what might be happening, you have to leave a time space bubble in front of you, and just keep your head on a swivel,” said Servano.

Last year during the event, Austin Travis County Ems responded to 14 incidents.

There were 12 injuries with 7 people taken to the hospital and 1 fatality.

For first responders this certainly isn't their first rodeo. and over the years they've made tweaks to the safety plan. Essentially, what's done during SXSW will be in play.

It’s a little scaled back, according to ATCEMS Division Chief Wesley Hopkins. 

"We are not as robust as we are at SXSW, because a lot of these motorcycle riders will come into downtown for a little while and then go back out to the expo center so we have to kind divide and conquer this,” said Chief Hopkins.

At the Expo Center, an ambulance and special response unit will team up with a medic crew hired by the promoters. The annual Friday parade up Congress includes medics on modified motorcycles.

Responders will also use bicycles and all-terrain vehicles to maneuver around Friday and Saturday night crowds. To encourage safe riding - this reminder was posted on social media.

Chief Hopkins says the message is simple - - be aware and gear up.

"For your general population driving around, please look twice for motorcycles, they are going to be here in force, so just having that situation awareness is important to the motorcycles riders we can’t talk about helmets enough,” said Chief Hopkins.

At the expo center a lot of focus will be on dehydration case. There is one other reoccurring problem; wrecks involving golf carts that that some attendees bring them.

Austin police will also be out in force. This is a DUI No Refusal Weekend.