Man, woman taken from rave in life-threatening condition

Days before a bylaw passed by city council requiring new safety measures for raves in Edmonton, a man and a woman were taken to hospital from a rave in critical, life-threatening condition early Monday morning.

At approximately 3:20 a.m. on Monday EMS was called to the Edmonton Convention Centre, said Alberta Health Services spokeswoman Diana Rinne.

EMS assessed and transported the two adult patients to hospital in critical life-threatening condition, she said.

City council passed a bylaw Wednesday requiring rave organizers to provide partygoers with water and “chill out” spaces, and to provide the city with permits, a licence and detailed event-control plans. The bylaw has yet to take effect, but the organizer behind the event on Sunday night said Boodang Music Canada has already been following the most significant requirements laid out in the new bylaw for the past two years.

“In advance of every large-scale electronic event including Frequency 2020, a full safety and security, medical and harm-reduction plan is developed and reviewed through the City of Edmonton’s (electronic dance music) interagency panel which includes Alberta Health Services and Edmonton Police Service. These plans include on-site medical personnel, on-site harm-reduction services, access to water and chill-zone spaces,” said owner Viet Nguyen in an emailed statement.

Alberta Health Services did not have patient or family consent to provide any further information.

The city defines raves as electronic music shows with more than 1,500 attendees. While events are required to have on-site security, some events have put pressure on services by police and emergency medical services.

The massive dance parties have been a long-standing concern for city council, which considered in 2012 and 2018 placing a moratorium on raves over the number of medical incidents at the events. Council ultimately opted against a moratorium, instead deciding to work with the community to make the events safer.

Under the new electronic dance music event bylaw, rave organizers will be required to provide free water to attendees, as well as chill-zone spaces where “noise, light, temperature, crowding and other stimuli are reduced.”

They will also need to provide a dedicated space for an incident command post to respond to medical, police and security issues.

The bylaw requires organizers to obtain permits from the city, hold an event production business licence and submit four separate event plans to be reviewed by city administration and the city’s interagency panel.

The medical plan, for example, should outline the number of medical staff on-site, their shift schedules and their qualifications.

In 2016, police were called to help eject an average of 28 people per event. The 10 raves in Edmonton in 2016 averaged around 11 presentations to on-site medical staff and four transports to hospital by ambulance.

Medical incidents at events at the Edmonton Convention Centre, a not-for-profit owned by the city of Edmonton, are assessed and treated by on-site medical practitioners before they are transferred to the care of Alberta Health Services, said Lauren Andrews, a spokeswoman for the Edmonton Convention Centre.

Edmonton Police Service spokesman Scott Pattison said that some drug-related charges were laid and seizures were made at the weekend event.