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Japanese Anime Conventions
Across the country in many cities there are many fans that attend Japanese Anime Conventions. Recently after the weekend of Firehouse Expo in Baltimore City, Md , the Baltimore Convention Center was filled to the brime by attendees for Otakon one of the largest Mid Atlantic Anime Coventions on the East Coast the next weekend.
I have attend Otakon and and a few others over the years. Mostly as a attendee I have enjoyed alot of what was offered during the three to four days it takes for a con to setup and run.
Neko Con which I have attended for years was the first time I was asked to be part of the medic staff because there was need for certified EMTs on site.
With help from a friend in the Tokyo Fire Service I copied the uniforms of the Japanese Fire Service to use while attending a con. I sort of stand out wearing them and have had people come looking for me when someone was hurt or sick. Being on staff you also get a radio while on duty to hear what is happening and respond.
I have been in the Baltimore Convention Center when the fire alarm has been pulled a few times. I have watched to be sure that other attendees have left an area before the staff security have asked that I move along with the other attendees. I have also helped with medical emergencys until con medical staff or BFD medics get there. I always have my fire dept ID I show if needed.
The last time I remember the fire alarm was pulled the traffic in the area of the BCC came to a stop because of the amount of attendees trying to evacuate the place. Something like over 20,000. Plus getting them away from the building. The city police sent the crowd control unit.
Getting back in was a job because everyone has to be checked for attendance badges.
Now one other thing is that Baltimore Convention Center will be hosting a comicbook convention in Sept which would be some what close to a anime con.
One thing is the costumes attendees wear. Some you might have to do some extrication work to get to the person inside if they have a medical problem. Others watch what you do and besure you have person of the attendee's gender there also if you are the opposite gender because some of those costumes are sometimes reviling and very thin material.
Other things are dance raves. You may have to deal with passed out attendees due to not eating or other actions that con staff frown on like drinking before attending the rave or someone having drugs.
We had to attend to improper touching during one year at a rave. The guy went out between two city cops.
I have wondered if anyone else has a attended a anime con as a attendee, staff member or the fire dept or ems service you work for sent you to standby or ran an emergency call where it was being held?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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This is not my cup of tea to attend, but have responded to and worked special events for a variety of events. Basically such response aspects come down to being professional and doing your job. Frankly, that is all you need. Who cares if the person you attend to is the opposite gender, why worry about having to ensure that someone of the same gender is with me? What does that have to do with anything? Yep raves are another issue and despite what the staff frown upon, usually tend to have someone bringing in drugs, so again goes back to being professional and falling back on training.
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Permalink Reply by ashfire on
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The one thing many of the ems people here where I reside have been told when dealing with a person of the opposite gender always make sure your ass is covered. You could do the right things but it takes that one person or persons to trip you up and a lawsuit appear. Its their word or your word.
You could besure you have more people to be sure you do the right treatment and handle the patient correctly.
When I have had to deal with a attendee there was always another staff member or more there to cover you and the group running the event.
The people running the event rave have done their best to keep out things not wanted there like banning any bags or containers which anything can be hidden in. We won't go to having to pat down attendees to allow them to get into any event being held.
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The one thing many of the ems people here where I reside have been told when dealing with a person of the opposite gender always make sure your ass is covered. You could do the right things but it takes that one person or persons to trip you up and a lawsuit appear. Its their word or your word.
Which is the reason for documentation and acting professional. I would disagree with acting alone with patient care from an EMS standpoint, but I disagree with the notion that one should be working with someone of the opposite gender just to "CYA". Acting professionally, keeping in the scope of practice and proper documentation is how to "CYA", no worry about ensuring someone of the opposing gender is working with you.
If a patient has chest pain and you get them back to an EMS room etc and have 12 lead capabilities, it is expected care for such a patient that a 12 lead is done. In order to do this, that means exposing the patients chest. If the patient is female, it is ludacris to wait around for a female EMT when you and your partner are male. You do the procedure, you document. If the patient has such a bug as to produce a lawsuit for being "exposed" etc.....it is easy to go right back to the documentation, "pt had chest pain, taken back to EMS room, 12 lead done, EKG was NSR" etc. That is considered normal pt care for such a patient as opposed to "waited 20 minutes for a female EMT in order to conduct a 12 lead since the pt was a female". Do you see where I'm coming from here?
If one is acting as a solo EMS provider, as you make it sound like, then I would disagree with such a practice and would be making demands that if EMS is to be there for an event the minimum staff is two EMTs and you work together.
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One thing I am a Basic EMT. I can only expose a person's chest to use a AED, CPR and to check for injuries. Most of the time I was partnered with a female staffer from the group running the event or one will show up. When you get a medical problem a lot of staff will show up to checkout the problem. Like the con chairperson. Alot of times at these events you have no where to take a patient until you get a local EMS unit there to move them. The most I have seen to move someone was a wheelchair. Some of these groups or corperations that run these events can limit the staff that can do EMS to certain activities during a show. A life threating situation will be handled until EMS arrives. Most places have AEDs mounted to the walls around convention centers so they can be used.
Some convention centers have staff that can do EMS but figure the number of people attending and the size of the place its held and where the staff office is located. Baltimore Convention Center is close to three city blocks long and two blocks wide and three to four levels depending on which end of the building your in. Plus a one way street runs through a section of it. There is a walkway above the street and a lower section below it. I have dread someone just walking out the doors of one side and step out without waiting for the traffic light to stop the traffic at that location of the building.
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Ash,
I was a basic EMT too for awhile and I get the gist of the size of the convention hall etc. I work regular Packer games here and there are a number of other events where there is EMS on site etc, from hockey games, to concerts, to conventions, yeah I get the point. All I'm saying is this aspect of ensuring that there is a member of the opposite gender to CYA is a bunch of baloney. As long as you operate within your scope of practice and document, that is enough CYA.
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I will tell you about a story that when we were at Otakon. I was part of a anime club attending the con. We were staying in a hotel on the same floor that Buffalo Bills football team members staying until the game there in Baltimore. The leader of our group left our room and was heading for the elevator.
Well a few of the players were standing looking at the elevator. From what our leader told us, he had seen a young lady standing in the elevator dressed as a anime magic girl as the doors closed.
Well the players turned to one another and said "What The Hell Was That"
Well our leader tried to explain what anime was. The players thought he was talking about porno.
There is a little bit of that in anime.
I made the mistake of walking into a Yoai panel one night waiting for a lady friend who was in there. I didn't know what the term Yoai meant. Yoai is male gay anime. Never again.
Only time I did again was on staff at Neko Con because they needed someone to check for a person disrupting the panel. We walked in looked around seen no trouble and left.
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I forgot to bring this situation up in my discussions. Many times you have to deal with different age groups when dealing with attendees.
I also found out many times parents will drop off their kids on a one day pass and leave. I had a disscussion with one such elementary age child how he was there because he asked his parents to bring him to the convention. If this child had been hurt while attending the con I know the parents would have been in deep do do and then where do we take over in treating. I know we have the convention center and con leadership staff and the local police and ems called and try to do what we could until they got there.
There are parents who hung around with their children to keep them out of trouble or help them with their costumes or dress up with them.
Some of the outfits you just got to take pictures.
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If this child had been hurt while attending the con I know the parents would have been in deep do do and then where do we take over in treating.
It is quite a simple answer....treat according to the injuries. Parents really are not in some deep do-do as you say, because the same approach can be made with a kid riding their bike, hurt in the park, etc hwere parents aren't there. You treat the injuries/medical condition, contact EMS....transport to the hospital. Really the only difference betweeen treating an adult or treating a minor is that a minor can not refuse care. If a parent is not right there, you take the minor to the hospital and hospital staff should be able to get the required info so parents can be contacted. It really is that simple.
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I thought I would add some links
This video shows the type of uniform rescue firefighters in Japan wear which I copied to wear at anime cons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU4n-nKMhAM&feature=related
Last year I attended one of the panels at Nekcon which was titled Anime Horror Stories.
Stories talked about.
How many people can sleep in a Embassy Suite room?
21. 2 in both queen size beds, 1 between the beds and 1 between the walls and the beds, 1 at each foot of the beds 1 in each corner of the room, 1 under the desk, 1 in the closet. In the livingroom, 2 on the foldout couch, 2 under the foldout, 1 on the table 1 under the table, in the bathroom 1 under the sink and 1 in the tub.
Some of the attendees will attend church on Sunday.
The panelist told how he went into a church near the con.
There were a few other attendees in their costume sitting in the back. So he sat down with them.
The preacher was preaching about Jesus and when he was placed in the tomb. The preacher when in a loud voice said "AND HE AROSE" about that time a attendee walked in the door dressed as Jesus. The preacher stopped and stared. The attendee just shrugged and the preacher started clapping and then the whole church.
One thing at cons dealers will sell swords and knifes. A law at all cons is that NO REAL STEEL WEAPONS WILL BE DISPLAYED BY ATTENDEES IN THE CON OR ON THE STREETS. Well one of the stories told at the panel was a attendee bought a machete at one of these dealers and was taking it back to their hotel. Well his buddy was swinging it out on the street and hits his buddy's leg. Well it hurt and they kept walking. The cops had stopped them for displaying the weapon on the street and about that time his buddy notice the blood dripping down his leg. Well 50 stitches and his friend pleading how sorry he was from the street, the ambulance, into the hospital and after treatment.
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Some links I found to add.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y900_VdIbNQ&feature=related
One thing I like to attend during a con are the music videos where people will take a anime and mix it with music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHRshlI6BSs
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One thing about attending anime cons, is that the location where its being held may have to limit uses of the building. With a high number of attendees(Otakon 20,000) escalators will be either shut off or blocked off to prevent damage from the amount of people using them. Elevators will be limited for use by staff members, handicap attendees and emergency personnel.
With Otakon held around July or August. The factor with this is heat and humidity which is major thing with Baltimore. Another is serve storms with down pours and lightning. With the amount of people attendee there will be a line to register which could go around the building and back to the entrance. Many con staffers will keep an eye out for attendees in trouble from the heat. I did get dehydrated a few years back while standing on line mostly because of medication I was taking. It took a night of rest to get myself incondition for the con. I have been soaked to the skin from a down pour while parking at the hotel we were staying at. Took a while to dry out my shoes so I had a extra pair to wear. One year on line a brought rain gear packed in a bag which did come in handy because it did rain. Lightning, I just made it into the convention center before it started shaking the place.
Now humidity I have walked from the convention center to the Inner Harbor of Baltimore and by the time I get back to the hotel I am soaked from sweating. I have to shower and change clothes just to relax.
Another thing I have learned about attendees. You may run into crossdressers. Males dressing has female anime characters or females dressed as male anime characters.
Now somethings its obvious when Bubba is dressed as Salior Moon walking along in the con with a beard.
Con attendees are reminded about bathing while attending the con. Sometimes you will catch a little smell of BO moving amoung the crowd. Sometime con goers will wear a costume for three days with out airing them.
Eating is also important. Eating a good breakfast to fill you up in the morning and at least something filling around dinnertime.
Hydration attendees are asked to drink water or drinks that keep them hydrated most convention center provide water stations around the building.
Sleep is also important. Sometimes you are trying to get yours while the people in the next room are singing Disney songs all night until morning where they will sleep until the afternoon.
Now hotels. Depending on where you stay, elevators are sometimes controled. They will only run certain ones. Getting in and to your room maybe a time. Getting out is another situation depending on what you brought with you and how many floors the place has and how many times a packed elevator stops at your floor. I have know a few to take the stairs. The place I have stayed has eleven floors. I have been lucky to be on the third floor or the extra tower wing of the hotel which is parted by the parking lot.
The best anime cons are when they are held in a covention hotel. Most anime cons have started that way. This way you won't have to leave the building until the end of the con.
Get up, eat, dress and go right into it, eat again, do some more and then go and sleep.
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Speaking about anime cons in hotels, the one year we used a hotel result in more EMS calls than any con we attended. The first to start things off was the attendee trying to exit the indoor pool and cut open his leg. Then that evening was drug over dose in a upstairs hallway of the hotel. We had a deputy sheriff on site who was also a EMT. After we transfered the patient to EMS he was about to have a talk with a guest in the room that the patient had been in. Next we had a dislocated knee at the dance followed by the asthma attack near the elevator. The patient was laying flat on the floor, I raised them to a sitting position to help them breath. The patient did not have their inhaler with them and it was in another hotel nearby. While our crew help the best we could a friend of the patient took off for the inhaler. When they returned they had the wrong one. Luckey EMS arrived and the patient was treated and taken to the hosptial. I guess the hospital was wondering what type of show we had going.
Another situation was someone had smeared blood all over a mens restroom and dropped blood around the front desk. We had to shut down the restroom which was the only one close to the dance and hotel staff had to clean the areas affected.
Then there was the fire alarms. A con staff member was standing talking to con heads and just to be funny reachout and grabbed the alarm station and pulled it by accident. He was banded from the con and turned over to fire dept personnel. Then someone stood outside their hotelroom and smoked under a smoke alarm in the hallway.
We had to move to another hotel for awhile which had a con center next door. I was standing by and had a attendee come to me and said they had a friend that was hurt in the parking lot next door. The patient had tripped and scraped their knee. I cleaned and bandaged and told them to have it checked. Later I was called for someone felling dizzy. I checked them and then told the con ops to get EMS to come because they were needed. The patient was dehydrated and I felt they needed treatment.
When the con moved to a large convention center we were in for one of the crazyest weekends. There was the anime con and then there was the U.S. Marine Corps Ball and a large local Catholic church in the convention center and in the arena across the street a large Rap concert.
There was some confussion. We had con attendees dressed as Nuns and Priest so we ended up with people followed by people from the church. Then there was the Marines, there was some standoffs situations. Then a convention attendee dressed as a military character from Street Fighter was walking down the hall. One of the Marines ran out and saluted and other Marines and con attendees joined in. Luckey we didn't see any attendees from the rap concert.
Now the only serious medical incident happen a couple of years later at this location. A con guest was on the down escalator and had a seizure. Some attendees kept them from falling down the escalator. Other staff personnel and myself check the patient out after they regained consciousness after which EMS arrived and transported.
We have had drunks in the restroom at the dance which had police and EMS but their friends took them back to the hotel.
Then someone assaulted a attendee in a bulky costume which prevented them from seeing the attack. The attendee had minor injuries and the ones that assaulted them were caught on cameras in the center and turned over to police and their parents and banded from the con never to come back.
Now the hotel next door was closed to anyone leaving or entering one night because two hotel staff workers got into a fight and one stabbed the other.
When we had a fire alarm pulled, doors were damage in one of the rooms when attendees rushed through the door. The frame was hanging from the wall.
I will be back attending in the fall ready for what this con will bring.
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