John Coffelt, Editor

Dr. Jay Trussler, who worked three shifts in the Bonnaroo Medical tent during the annual music festival, reported to his fellow members during the Ambulance Authority June 20 meeting that overall it went pretty well.

“Every year is a little bit different,” Trussler said. “This year the heat definitely played a role. But all in all, it seemed like the crowd was a little more tame.”

Trussler said medical had several festivalgoers who couldn’t regulate their heat, resulting in some

“aggressive measures” to get them cooled off before being evacuated by air.

Trussler said initially responding medical personnel seldom get updates on the patients’ condition and recovery from large regional hospitals like they would had they been transported to a local hospital.

Some of the more serious injuries to occur during the four-day festival were natural causes, such as a slip and fall that resulted in internal bleeding, a medical case related to COPD.

Trussler said that having two helicopter evacuation units on the ground was beneficial.

“We had a propane tank explode on a camper,” he said. “The helicopter was right there. We got them on a cart and got them to main medical tent and went straight to the chopper.”

There were times that back-to-back evacuations were needed, so having a second available helicopter on festival grounds saved time, EMS Administrative Assistant Lorie Nunley said.      

Trussler said the medical personnel who work under the contracted National Event Service are a seasoned group that return to the festival from across the country.

“They’re seasoned,” Trussler said. “It’s kind of like a little fraternity. We get together once a year and have a reunion once a year. It’s people we’ve been working with for like 15 years. Everyone kind of knows the ropes – knows what to expect,” Trussler said.

According to a preliminary report given at the meeting, Coffee County EMS had 40 calls for transport during the festival.

“Things are going to happen when you get 100,000 and it’s ninety-something degrees and they’re camping,” Trussler said. “Something is going to happen regardless. I’d said NES and Coffee County EMS was working well together to do the job.”             

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.