Posted: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 11:50 PM - 8,074 Readers

By: Suzannah Gonzales

For the thousands of concertgoers expected this weekend on Lake Travis, the agenda will be fun. For law enforcement and emergency personnel, AquaPalooza means work.

Officials have been coordinating safety plans for four months in preparation for AquaPalooza, expected to be the largest event ever held on the lake. About 5,000 boats and up to 35,000 people are expected today and Saturday . Country singer Brad Paisley is the Saturday headliner.


"Everyone's working together," Travis County sheriff's Capt. Frank Lofton said. "We're treating this as a major holiday weekend on the lake, like we do on Fourth of July and Labor Day."

Sail & Ski Center , the local promoter of the event, hired First Medical Response of Texas to manage safety efforts and coordinate about 20 local agencies. The event, near mile marker 22 on the lake, is accessible to the public only by water. Attendees will take boat shuttles to festivities on land.

The event is unique because it will take place on water and land, which brings logistical challenges, said Edwin Reyes , president of First Medical Response. He said the company and officials are prepared to handle every emergency that could occur, from drownings to boating accidents.

More than 100 law enforcement officers will be at the event, along with 30 to 40 law enforcement boats, about 30 water safety personnel, three helicopters, three ambulances during the Paisley concert, and dozens of medical staff.

Paisley will perform on a stage on a private development called the Reserve at Lake Travis . There will be an area in front of the stage, in water that is no more than 10 feet deep, where concertgoers can swim and float. Behind that area, a "boat grid" will have space for 2,000 boats, Reyes said. Other boats may anchor outside the grid. There will be boat shuttle service from the grid to land.

First Medical Response has also managed safety efforts at the Fiesta Oyster Bake in San Antonio, which attracted 100,000 visitors, among other events, Reyes said.

Sail & Ski Center is paying for off-duty sheriff's deputies to work the land portion of the event. The sheriff's office doesn't expect to incur much overtime for the event, Lofton said.

About 68 game wardens from across the state and 20 patrol boats from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be patrolling the lake this weekend. In addition to AquaPalooza, other events are planned, including LagoPalooza and Jonestown Night on the North Shore .

Officials will be looking for incidents of boating while intoxicated, underage drinking, lewdness and fights. Lofton suggested that AquaPalooza attendees drink responsibly, have fire extinguishers and flotation devices on boats, and use common sense.

"We're going to make the lake as safe as possible and get as many drunks off the lake," Parks and Wildlife game warden Capt. Fred Churchill said. "We want everyone to come out and have a good time, but I want to make sure everyone goes home, too."