Published Sep. 10 in the Ashland Daily Independent

Ashland emergency workers deal with noncompliance to postpone event
Heat-related problems delay River Cities Classic competition

By TOM LEWIS
Of The Ashland Daily Independent

CANNONSBURG — Heat nearly stole the show — literally — at Saturday's River Cities Classic high school marching band festival at Boyd County High School.

At least 13 students and one adult were taken to the hospital with heat-related problems, and about 50 others were treated on site, ambulance crews said.

The heat index, which factors temperature and humidity together, was around 120 degrees shortly after the competition started at 1 p.m., Boyd County EMS public information officer Marty Johnson said.

Boyd County Sheriff Philip Sturgill said police were called when ambulance and fire department crews who wanted to cancel the festival, hosted by BCHS and Ashland's Paul G. Blazer High School, could not reach a consensus with organizers.

At around 3:45 p.m., organizers agreed to delay the competition until 7 p.m.

Most of the people who were treated suffered from heat exhaustion, Boyd County EMS paramedic Chuck Cremeans said. One person had heat stroke and two had asthma attacks.

Boyd County High School Band Director Tony Sparks said the problems stemmed from a combination of factors, including the heat and humidity.

It was the first time that many of the bands had performed their shows ``at full force and full time," and many of the students who succumbed to the heat were sick already, Sparks said.

``I think everybody wanted the same thing," said BCHS Principal Jerry Johnson — let the bands perform, but safely — and the three-plus-hour delay was the best middle ground.

But many people associated with the 15 bands that competed Saturday, along with the two host bands, did not like the way emergency crews handled the situation.

Five members of the Russell High School band were treated after their 2:30 p.m. performance, including one with asthma. But director Lee Kearns said that student was more frightened by the way ambulance workers dealt with him than he was sick.

Mark Stephens, a fifth-year member of the Russell marching band, said he had performed in worse heat, and the delay was unfair because all bands should have had to march under equal conditions.

``I think the paramedics have blown it out of proportion a bit. But some of the students have blown it out of proportion," Stephens said. ``It's 85-degree weather. If they can't march, maybe they need to work a little harder."

Mary Ann Williams, wife of Campbell County High School's band director, said she had been attending marching competitions for 24 years and had never seen one canceled or delayed because of heat.

``It's an overreaction," Williams said.

The delay forced the cancellation of the second round for finalists and exhibitions by the Boyd County and Paul G. Blazer bands.

Marty Johnson said emergency crews had to tell some bands to stop practicing after the delay was announced.

This is the second year that Boyd County and Paul G. Blazer have co-hosted the River Cities Classic.

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