OKMULGEE – As temperatures climb during the festivities and activities of the 50th Annual Muscogee Nation Festival, visitors have easy access to keeping cool, safe, and hydrated. The MCN Department of Public Safety is providing cooling tents to help anyone who gets overheated as the temperatures climb while at the festival. The tents are located on the east side of the walking entrance, near the food vendors and art and crafts.
MCN Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bobby Howard (Mvskoke) spoke about the importance of staying hydrated and how the tents help citizens and all visitors stay safe.
Howard stated that the tents, which are used when someone gets overheated, are not a new addition to the festival. This enclosed space is where citizens can relax, rest, and get water.
The tents always have medical professionals and the MCN Department of Health nurses on staff to help all visitors. The tents are staffed with medical workers who will ensure body temperatures return to normal.
The air-conditioned tent has a temperature inside of 68 degrees. Howard compares the cooling tent to a building with cool air and cool water.
“If you get really hot, then we have chances of heat exhaustion, heat stress, stroke, and heat stroke, so the cooling tents are a major part of one of the safety features that we have at the festival,” Howard said.
When entering the cooling tent, nurses will follow a protocol to check for heat injury or other injuries. If the nurses deem it necessary, they will provide transportation to a facility- an ambulance is on site with paramedics.
Howard believes that providing these services is highly impactful and is a major part of what they do to keep everyone safe.
Signs of heat illness
Howard shared the common signs of heat illness to watch for: cramping, clammy skin, headaches, dizziness, and feeling nauseated. All of these signs are heat-related. Howard also shared that the color of your urine can indicate how dehydrated you are; darker-than-normal urine can be a sign you’re dehydrated.
Dehydration can develop quickly, so it’s important to recognize the warning signs: thirst, dry mouth, dry skin, fatigue, reduced urination, dizziness, and headache. As Howard emphasizes, staying hydrated is the best way to prevent dehydration, and if it do occur, is should be treated promptly.
“You may have eaten something, and you get nauseous, but if you have these other symptoms with it, it’s a clear heat injury. Especially when you know you’re outside in 100-degree weather, and you start feeling this,” Howard says.
“It’s really important to stay hydrated, I can’t say that enough.”
Prepare and hydrate
Howard explains that when you’re cramping, it means that the muscles in your body are telling you that your body is lacking fluids. For the pre-festival preparation, he wants everyone to start hydrating well in advance due to the hot weather.
“You have to hydrate a week in advance so that your body absorbs that water. If you just try to pour down the day of, you’re not going to be able to replenish your system. Your body can’t absorb it that fast; it just doesn’t. You have to start hydrating ahead of time,” Howard said.
“I can’t say that enough, and I would really hope that the people prepare for the event ahead of time.”
He encourages visitors to go to the cooling tent if they feel uncomfortable at any time during the festival.
“Just stop by and let them give you a look over and make sure everything is good, so that you can enjoy the festival. I mean, our job is to keep them safe during festivals, that’s what the Department of Public Safety, Emergency Management, MCN Lighthorse, all of our folks there are to keep them safe,” Howards says.
“This is a part of it where we partner with the Department of Health just to make sure that our citizens have a safe and fun time at the festival.”
