Police, hospitals urge Kingstonians to stay safe this St. Patrick’s Day
We all know St. Patrick’s Day has become synonymous with revelry and green beer, and that’s all well and good, so long as the day is celebrated safely.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled some information and tips from local police, fire, and hospital authorities to share with a readers.
The following is a statement from Kingston Police:
St. Patrick’s Day takes place this weekend on March 17, 2019. In preparation for St. Patrick’s Day, Kingston Police is working with the City of Kingston, Queens University, and other Community Partners to help ensure the safety of our community this weekend.
Kingston Police have scheduled a significant contingent of officers to work the event, this is to ensure frontline patrol can respond to their regular calls for service throughout the city. Our priority is the safety of our community while maintaining a reasonable and appropriate level of enforcement. Officers will be in cruisers, and on foot, engaging partiers while working to keep sidewalks and roadways open.
Anyone participating in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations should be aware of a substantial change this year as a consequence of poor behaviour. With the assistance of our City of Kingston partners we will be utilizing the Nuisance Party By-Law 2018-53 and University District Safety Initiative to help ensure the safety of our community. The University District Safety Initiative will be in effect on St. Patrick’s Day weekend from March 15, 2019, at 1:00 a.m. until March 18, 2019, at 12:00 p.m. A person charged under his initiative will be required to appear before a Justice of the Peace in Kingston, regardless of where they live, and will not have the option to settle the charge by mail, by phone, or online. The goal is to ensure that people charged with an offence account for their actions in person. For more details on the Nuisance Party By-Law or Safety Initiative see: https://www.kingstonpolice.ca/safety-crime-prevention/nuisance-party-by-law-and-queen-s-safety-initiative/.
Here are some tips to help keep you safe and out of trouble this St. Patrick’s Day:
- Do not drink and drive
- If you are going to drink please do so responsibly
- Do not leave your drink unattended at bars and events
- Make plans ahead of time for a safe way home
- Do not get into a vehicle with a stranger or a driver who has been drinking
- Pedestrians should use designated crosswalk locations
- Avoid street parties to allow for safe pedestrian and traffic flow
- Motorists should drive with extra caution
- If you see a suspected impaired driver, call 911
Please remember to be respectful of the community, respectful of all first responders, mindful of the law, and have an enjoyable and safe St. Patrick’s Day.
The following are some reminders from Kingston Fire and Rescue:
- Never cook after consuming alcohol or marijuana. If you’re hungry, order in!
- Keep roadways clear, and always leave enough room for emergency vehicles.
- If you’re hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party, keep your gathering small – over crowding increases your fire risk.
- Falsely setting off a fire alarm or fire extinguisher isn’t fun and games – it’s a criminal offence. Don’t ruin your record with a prank.
The following is a message from Kingston Health Sciences Centre on where to go to seek medical treatment this weekend if necessary:
With a busy weekend of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations anticipated in the city, Kingston Health Sciences Centre would like to remind the community to celebrate safely and responsibly.
KHSC is currently handling an increase in patient care needs from across our region as well managing an impact to operating room capacity from a recent flood. To ensure that our Emergency teams can continue to provide the highest-level of care to the sickest individuals in our region, please read the information below to find out where to go if you need to access health-care services.
WALK-IN CLINICS
Patients with a non-acute and non-life threatening illnesses or injuries that require access to a medical professional should first consider accessing care at a local walk-in clinic. A number of walk-in clinics are located across Kingston; you can find the closest one by visiting: www.southeasthealthline.ca
URGENT CARE CENTRE AT HOTEL DIEU
Located at our Hotel Dieu Hospital site (166 Brock Street), the Urgent Care Centre provides care for patients with injuries or illness that require urgent medical attention that cannot wait for a visit to a family physician. This could include deep cuts and wounds that require stitches, sprains and strains or deep bruises, mild to moderate asthma attacks, infections of the ear, respiratory system or urinary tract, severe diarrhea, insect bites or rashes. The Urgent Care Centre is open every day between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AT KGH
The Emergency Department at our Kingston General Hospital site provides care for patients with life or limb-threatening illness or injuries or patients who have a high likelihood of requiring hospital admission. This could include severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure, trauma to the head, sudden dizziness or difficulty seeing and severe abdominal pain. The Emergency Department is open 24 hours-a-day.
“As the region’s provider of complex, acute and specialty care, we need to ensure that people are able to access the care they require in the right place at the right time,” says Carol McIntosh, Director of Ambulatory Clinics and Emergency Care. “We ask that people with less serious illness or injuries seek medical attention in the appropriate place so that the sickest can continue to be seen quickly in the Emergency Department at KGH.”
Patients who are experiencing chest pain, severe respiratory distress, allergic reactions, or the symptoms of stroke (sudden onset of arm/leg weakness, facial droop or slurred speech) should call 911 immediately.
If you’re not sure where to go, Telehealth Ontario is available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week and gives you access to a registered nurse who will assess symptoms and help decide what kind of help is needed and where to get it. Phone 1-866-797-0000.
Wow, interesting you didn’t talk to local paramedics who will certainly respond to FAR more calls than fire department on St. Patrick’s Day.