Despite the slew of students plunging into ice-cold Occom Pond and speeding down the Dartmouth Skiway this weekend, Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone and Dick's House officials said they do not expect a significant increase in student incidents during Winter Carnival and will make few special provisions for the weekend. Safety and Security, however, will likely see an increase the number of calls it receives due to the weekend's scheduled activities, according to Keiselim Montas, interim director of Safety and Security.
Three to six Safety and Security officers will be on patrol during Winter Carnival, rather than the standard two to five patrolling officers, according to Montas.
Safety and Security typically receives a larger number of calls during Winter Carnival and other big weekends than on normal weekends, Montas said.
"As a general rule, the more people we have around, the more calls we get," Montas said.
Good Samaritan calls phone calls made to Safety and Security when a student is intoxicated to the point of needing medical assistance increase most drastically during big weekends, Montas said.
"On bigger weekends, we tend to get more Good Samaritan calls, which is a good thing," Montas said. "We would rather have students call us, so we can provide them with the medical assistance they might need, than not to call us."
There is typically no increase in the number of incidents requiring police investigation during any of Dartmouth's big weekends, Giaccone said.
"[Students] try to make you think that [Winter Carnival] is a major event, but our [arrest] numbers, if you look at them throughout the year, are pretty much the same," he said. "Sometimes we remark that off-weekends, when there's not a particular event, are sometimes busier than weekends that have the event."
Police will be present at all Winter Carnival hockey and basketball games, as they are throughout the term, Giaccone said.
The increase in vehicle and foot traffic during Winter Carnival also does not significantly affect the number of incidents that Hanover Police handles, Giaccone said.
Dick's House will staff an extra nurse from Friday evening to Sunday morning, although a large increase in the number of students seeking medical attention is unlikely, Charlene Bradley, director of nursing at Dick's House, said.
"I think that the only big weekend when we know that there's absolutely going to be an increase in activity is Homecoming," Bradley said. "But for either Green Key or Winter Carnival, we may or may not be additionally busy."
The focus on outdoor activities during Winter Carnival may lead to more incidents of frostbite and injuries from slipping on the ice, Bradley said. Students should wear adequate clothing to protect themselves from cold weather and avoid other weather-related emergencies, Bradley said.
"Go out and have fun in the snow, but dress appropriately," she said.
Four student Emergency Medical Technicians one more than on a usual weekend will be on call from Friday evening through Sunday morning, Jeff Spielberg '10, director of Dartmouth Emergency Medical Services, said.
"That allows us to respond to two simultaneous calls on campus if that happens to come in," Spielberg said.
EMTs will also attend events throughout the weekend, he said.
"At Winter Carnival, we always have several events where we're requested to do standby coverage," he said. "We'll have crews on the scene at the Polar Bear Swim and the Occom Pond party."
On-call EMTs will be centrally located during the weekend so that they can collectively respond to calls, Spielberg said.
EMTs, who are accompanied by at least one Safety and Security officer when responding to calls, will determine patients' vital signs, engage in airway management as needed and make informed medical decisions in the best interest of the person they are treating, Spielberg said.
