Medical teams, police to patrol WWII event

WASHINGTON - Busloads of elderly veterans will come to the dedication of the National World War II Memorial this weekend, and a small army of medical personnel will be on hand for any vets overcome by heat, exhaustion or the emotion of the day.

Nine medical aid stations will be scattered across the National Mall - each staffed with a doctor, two nurses and more than a half-dozen emergency medical technicians. Teams of paramedics on bikes will patrol the expected crowd of 200,000, carrying portable defibrillators.

"Because it's going to be warm and because of the age of the participants, we have to be prepared for a mass casualty situation," Alan Etter, spokesman for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, said in an interview Wednesday.

Many of the veterans are in their 80s and 90s.

"This is the largest event of its kind in which we have had to prepare a medical emergency response based on the demographic of the participants," Etter said. "Many of them will be coming with medications. Many of them will have mobility issues. Many of them will have cardiac issues, frankly, and we are prepared to respond."

The granite-and-bronze memorial, which sits prominently between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, will be dedicated Saturday at a ceremony with President Bush. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush also are expected to attend.

Given this week's warnings from the government about al-Qaida's desire to strike again in the United States, security is another major concern.

Acting Chief Dwight Pettiford of the U.S. Park Police said visitors will see a heavy law enforcement presence, with police on horseback, bikes and motorcycles and in the air. He said park police are coordinating security with more than 30 different local, state and federal agencies.

About 117,000 tickets have been set aside for reserved seating on the mall, and many of those ticket-holders will be screened by either metal detectors or bag checks. "There will be different levels of security throughout the National Mall and even throughout the different sections of seating," said Sgt. Scott Fear, spokesman for the Park Police.

In addition to the aid stations and medics on bikes, there will be more than a dozen ambulances on standby as well as golf carts that can carry stretchers circulating through the crowd, said memorial spokeswoman Betsy Glick.

Glick said the Veterans Affairs Department will provide dozens of grief counselors to help anyone who might become distressed.

The Red Cross has mobilized about 200 volunteers for the dedication, said spokeswoman Courtney Prebich.

Many will staff comfort stations where veterans will be offered water and care. Sixteen teams will roam the mall and flag down emergency workers for anyone in need.

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