Austin-Travis County EMS see increase in calls during SXSW

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - March is a busy month for first responders juggling South by Southwest and spring break. This year emergency crews responded to five different shootings in one weekend.

Captain Darren Noak said with entertainment and visitors taking over the streets of downtown Austin Travis County EMS does not skip a beat.

"We run the gamut we see everything from someone who tripped off the side of a curb and has a twisted ankle up to someone had a gunshot wound last night and went into cardiac arrest,” said Noak.

"Through the last several years we have not had to bring out any outside day to day ambulance resources into the downtown area," Noak adds.

Every SXSW the department sets up a command center and a mobile field hospital tent. Captain Noak calls it a city within a city.

In a five-day period ATCEMS responded to about 153 incidents,149 patients and has transported about 40 people to the hospital.

"Little bit busier than last year we ran about 140 or so calls last year incidents…total patient count was up by about 20,” Noak said.

Scooters posed a new problem for EMS this year. The department said they responded to at least 12-scooter injuries. 

Now another SXSW festival has come and gone Noak said his team will evaluate this year’s performance and prepare for next year.