Although many of the contacts were heat-related, he said, only one person needed significant medical treatment that required him to be taken to the hospital. About 16,000 people bought tickets to that concert, said Jean Parker, Merriweather's general manager.
"Instead of having to run calls back and forth, we're right there, and we can help people assist with whatever comes up," Butler said. "The best way to ensure that we're on the same sheet of music is by planning and exercising together so when we have events, we're pretty well prepared for a large influx of people coming into the county."
Another advantage of the unified system is future emergency preparedness, said Police Chief William J. McMahon.
"In the wake of 9/11, here in Howard County we really started in this incident command structure," McMahon said. "It also helps us kind of refine our plans for unexpected things that might pop up, be it natural or manmade disasters."
Most important, "we just have a much more efficient and effective response," McMahon said.
"Now, we use common terminology for the different gates and parking lots," he added.
Parker said the system is effective in controlling alcohol consumption.
"They're always on top of how many alcoholic drinks can be served to a person," she said. "It's a really good formula for making sure everybody's safe when they leave."
Parker said that even smaller events require careful planning with police and fire officials.
"We have a very open dialogue with each of those departments," she said. "We always plan for the worst but hope for the best."
The joint task force will soon begin planning for Sunday in the Country, a country music festival scheduled for September. Parker said that show is expected to sell out.
tyeesha.dixon@baltsun.com
