Firefighters, medics and police meet at the beach in the middle of the day for a press briefing in Lucavsala. There are stories of plain dumb injuries and preventable deaths in every service. A drunk driver's car has been brought here as a visual aid. All parts of the car are lopsided, and as the car rolled, some remained in the ditch. The cork of the beer bottle lies under the driver's chair and the bottle is in the luggage compartment. Dozens of drunk drivers were stopped last year, more than 20 – after a road accident, and two – died.
Juris Jančevskis, chief of the State Police Traffic Safety Board, said: “You can understand that they are doing this deliberately. [They] don't think about the consequences, nor about the punishment that can be received. There are cases where there are others in the car who have not acted to prevent this driver from sitting behind the wheel.”
It is difficult to talk to drunk drivers – it also appears in the State Police statistics. Even now, when the police can seize the car if a driver is caught drunk, the statistics have not improved significantly. All hope for the rest of the society.
“If the public sees these potential drivers – do everything you can. Especially if it's from your circle of celebrating. Don't let them sit behind the wheel,” Jančevskis said.
If it appears that a car on the road is being driven in a chaotic manner, it can be reported to the police by calling 110.
On the other hand, firefighters turned their attention to the nonsense that the celebrating people tend to do during the festival. It often ends with the involvement of rescuers and, in some cases, with divers whose task is to pull bodies from the water after ill-advised swimming sessions.
🌿Viena no iecienītākajām Jāņu nakts nodarbēm ir pirtī došanās un peldēšanās. Nereti pēc tam, kad baudīts alkohols, kas mazina cilvēka spēju domāt un veicina vēlmi pārgalvīgi rīkoties.
— VUGD (@ugunsdzeseji) June 21, 2023
❗️Lai svētkus pavadītu droši un patīkamām emocijām piepildīti- peldies ar apdomu! #drošisvētki pic.twitter.com/ABmsASGkYR
And, as usual there are fires. Fires and grills must not be left unattended. A bonfire must have a sand barrier and a bucket of water next to it. This year, due to heat and drought, it is particularly easy for the fire to break out and spread.
Emergency medical service said for two weeks already, many calls have been linked to burns. If the burn is larger than the victim's hand, help should be called. In the meantime, it should be rinsed with cool water for at at least 20 minutes.
Miķelis Puķītis, chief specialist for the Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) Unit for the organization of first aid, explained that cool water needs to be poured on for a prolonged period to prevent injury becoming more severe.
If the burned area is on the face, chest, crotch, hands, or feet, medical attention is needed. On the other hand, the fact that the burn is not hurting may mean that the nerves are already damaged.
“That's the case that the worst has happened. When there are third-degree burns and all layers of skin have suffered, all nerves, blood vessels, up to muscle,” said the specialist.
