4/9/09
The Rio Arriba Emergency Management Department is overseeing a multi-agency effort to keep pilgrims safe this Good Friday.
Law enforcement officers from four agencies in Rio Arriba and Santa Fe counties and the Red Cross will be deployed in case of any emergencies, Emergency Manager Mateo DeVargas said. Mounted forces will allow officers to negotiate more easily around the crowds of thousands of pilgrims on their way to the Santuario de Chimayó.
The Rio Arriba County Emergency Command Center and a first aid station will be stationed at the Chimayó Youth Conservation Corps office. The office is located at the old apple shed off of State Road 76 about a mile west of the intersection with Santa Fe County Road 98. Ambulances will be stationed throughout the area as well as a team of medics on bicycles who will be able to respond quickly to injuries.
The best thing to do in an emergency is not to try to reach an aid station but to call 911, DeVargas said.
Six or seven landing zones for medical helicopters have already been determined along the route, and helicopters will be on standby.
Red Cross as well as private groups not overseen by the County will be providing water and snacks to pilgrims along the main routes to the Santuario: State Roads 76 and 503.
“Motorists should use caution because there’s a lot of people and if you don’t have a real purpose to be out there, try not to go and make it more cluttered,” DeVargas said. “Just be careful because there are people of all ages walking.”
Pilgrims should dress appropriately for the weather and stay hydrated, DeVargas said. Children should wear a safety vest if possible and walk next to an adult.
State Police will be conducting saturation patrols this weekend but has not scheduled any sobriety roadblocks. Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department plans to conduct a sobriety checkpoint Friday on State Road 503 between Chimayó and Nambé.