Production company making changes after deaths

MAGNA — A Salt Lake-based production company which regularly puts on events at Saltair is making changes following two deaths at one of the promoter’s events in August. Another big electronic dance festival is scheduled for this weekend.

A spokesperson for V2 Events, choosing to respond in writing to a list of questions sent by KSL NewsRadio, says safety is and always has been the top priority for its shows and festivals.

“In the last couple years, our events have grown significantly and we are implementing some changes to our safety and security guidelines to accommodate the growth,” says the spokesperson.

Public backlash following a woman’s overdose death and a man’s fatal fall from an overpass seem to have prompted V2 to update security protocol.

The company is providing additional training to security to help identify dangerous medical situations at future events, such as dehydration or over-intoxication, in an effort to prevent injuries and deaths. V2 is also making parking more streamlined with the assistance of Utah Highway Patrol and Unified Police.

“V2 & Saltair security staff will be dispersed throughout the festival grounds, indoor and outdoor, and have the proper lines of communication to EMT & medical staff as well as law enforcement and police officers. Posted-positions, roaming ground control, and more will be covered throughout the weekend,” the spokesperson says.

According to V2, there will also be something like a small army of  safety, medical, and law-enforcement staff on hand at this weekend’s festival.

“Per Night

• 3 ambulances
• 7 total EMTs (8 including supervisor)
• 2 fire marshalls
• 70+ medically trained security personnel
• 15+ officers from Unified Police Department and Utah Highway Patrol.
• 3+ harm reduction/ground control per area”

The Utah Department of Transportation also recently installed a fence along the S.R. 202 overpass near Saltair as a precaution.

An update to our community: Thanks to the overwhelming help of everyone in the community who supported this cause, UDOT engineers will now start designing a fence to be installed on the UT202 bridge over I-80.https://t.co/QRhpzTyc7U

— V2 (@V2Presents) October 5, 2018

The company adds, “V2 Events has always gone above and beyond to ensure safety. We will continue to listen to our patrons and the community and make the necessary adjustments to keep our events completely safe and accessible as they grow.”

Thousands are expected to attend this weekend’s two-day festival, which is called Get Freaky.