CFD, Medic prepare for bitter cold, large crowds on New Year's Eve

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As people look forward to ringing in the new year in uptown Charlotte and across the city, first responders are preparing for a bitter cold night.

Rob Cannon, with the Charlotte Fire Department, said 16 off-duty firefighters are being pulled in to work in uptown Sunday night.

"We do sometimes respond to exposure calls if people stay out there too long," Cannon said.

Cannon said some firefighters will be on all-terrain vehicles so they can quickly navigate around the thousands of people expected to be out on New Year’s Eve.

"Each of them will have medical capabilities that allows us to respond to the crowd up there; allows us to get around a little bit easier," he said.

CFD officials said they will also have staff on standby because of the fire concern that comes with fireworks shows.

Chris Simmons, Medic operations supervisor, said the department is doubling the number of ambulances it typically has on a Sunday to around 50. He said calls typically pick up around midnight.

"With extremely cold temperatures, we worry about certain populations. We got a big homeless population that we worry about and the elderly and children," Simmons said.

Simmons said that while weather is a concern, they're expecting more calls related to car crashes, drug overdoses and alcohol.

"Folks who do consume a lot of alcohol, it tends to thin the blood just a bit, and if they do pass out, they are more susceptible to hypothermia," Simmons said.

In addition, CFD will have fire inspectors working at popular parties to look for fire code violations.

Medic officials said that because venues are scattered across the county, their trucks will be stationed everywhere.

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