The first Saturday of this Carnival has been distinguished by the substantial turnout of people in the various celebratory venues in the capital of Tenerife. The security and emergency operation, active since the commencement of the Rhythm and Harmony competition and the subsequent nocturnal festivities, has necessitated the deployment of hundreds of professionals, including the police, fire brigade, healthcare personnel, and Civil Protection volunteers. A total of 108 individuals were attended to during the nocturnal festivities.
In the assessment of the carnival night attendance, out of the total, 97 were adults and 11 were minors. In terms of gender distribution, there were 65 men and 43 women. Once again, the primary cause of these incidents was excessive alcohol consumption, with 55% of all those attended suffering from alcohol poisoning – a total of 60 people.
There were 13 carnival-goers who experienced trauma and falls, some requiring transfers to hospitals, resulting in a total of 17 referrals for diagnostic tests or the need for specialized care. There were also five recorded assaults, 24 cases of general ailments not associated with the Carnival, and six incidences of intoxication due to narcotic substances. One of the most severe cases was a man falling from one of the Carnival floats, necessitating evacuation to the Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria University Hospital (HUNSC).
Within the preventive and healthcare operation, provisions were also made for the younger attendees managed by the Spanish Red Cross, which operates in coordination with the Local Police unit attached to the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office. This police group recorded and analysed data of 12 minors, comprising five girls and seven boys, with 66% of this age group receiving treatment for alcohol poisoning. Two affected individuals had intoxication due to the consumption of narcotic substances, and two others had minor injuries.
At the Violet Point, established at the Carnival Hospital, professionals did not need to provide informational guidance or intervene in potential sexual assault incidents.
Throughout last Saturday night, members of the Local Police, National Police, Tenerife Firefighters Consortium, Santa Cruz Civil Protection volunteer group, and healthcare personnel from the Spanish Red Cross were on duty. Additionally, there was support from volunteers from the Civil Protection of Güímar. They were all coordinated from the Advanced Command Post (PMA) located at the Carnival Hospital in the General Gutiérrez Mellado square in the capital of Tenerife.
15 attended to during Rhythm and Harmony
During the Rhythm and Harmony contest of the Santa Cruz Carnival, 15 people required assistance, five of whom were minors and 10 were adults. Almost 50% of these incidents involved trauma, predominantly resulting from falls; the remainder, with the exception of one case of alcohol poisoning, suffered from ailments unrelated to the carnival festivity. All security and emergency resources that provided service during that event were assimilated into the preventive emergency coverage for the first major Saturday of the Carnival.
Updates on the progress of the night’s operations have been issued through the municipal Twitter accounts of the Municipal Administration Operational Coordination Center (Cecopal) @CECOPALSC or the capital’s Local Police @PoliciaLocalSC, as well as the Civil Protection volunteers @ProteCivilSCTF, utilising the hashtag #HospitalCarnavalSC.
