Burning Man chooses new medical provider, BLM concerned

Burning Man has chosen a new, out-of-state medical support services provider to care for patients after considering the public health and safety concerns expressed by the Bureau of Land Management following last year's Burn.

While glad to see that Burning Man is taking the initiative to make changes to address the BLM's concerns, the concerns are not gone.

"I'm somewhat apprehensive with a new medical provider coming on with only four months before implementation," said Gene Seidlitz, district manager for the BLM office based out of Winnemucca.

The BLM will not issue a special recreation permit to Burning Man until all concerns pertaining to public health and safety are addressed within the contract with CrowdRx, the new provider, Seidlitz said.

Burning Man has some time, as the permit is usually issued in June, according to Seidlitz.

"They have a permit in front of me, but it's unsigned," he said.

The BLM report addressing public health and safety during the 2014 Burning Man was not immediately available Wednesday for review.

Seidlitz said it covered issues like the poor portable toilet sanitation and the lack of communication between Burning Man's own emergency support staff and staff employed by the medical support services provider.

Burning Man disclosed last month that it cut ties with last year's provider, Winnemucca's Humboldt General Hospital. The organization would not reveal what organization would take over the hospital's role at the time.

On Wednesday, Burning Man announced that it reached an agreement with CrowdRx, but no contract is in place since all of the "numbers" still have to be figured out, according to Burning Man spokesman Jim Graham.

Officials have not revealed the contract amount or if it will be a one-year or multi-year contract.

Humboldt General Hospital received about $455,000 annually from Burning Man for the hospital's services, according to Burning Man's 2013 Afterburn Report. The contract amount with CrowdRx will be similar, according to Graham.

Humboldt General Hospital, which served Burning Man for four years before Burning Man severed the existing contract, will not be financially harmed by the loss of the contract, though the hospital is disappointed by the organization's decision, according to Humboldt General Hospital spokesman Pat Songer.

"It's disappointing that Burning Man chose to work with an out-of-state company that's unlicensed in Nevada. It's disappointing for the state of Nevada," Songer said. "They're not licensed to provide ambulance services, they're not licensed as a hospital in Nevada."

CrowdRx currently serves nearly 20,000 events nationwide, including a variety of musical festivals such as Coachella and Bonnaroo. Other clients include major athletic events, including the U.S. Open and various all-star major league events.

"CrowdRx has an excellent reputation for providing medical support for large public events across the country," said Burning Man CEO Marian Goodell. "We're looking forward to working with them now and into the future as Burning Man evolves and grows."

Burning Man will be a different animal for CrowdRx.

"Nevada is a new venture for us. We will look and see what we need," Monzo said.

The most rural environment the company had worked in its 23 years of experience was a Phish concert held in a rural part of New England in the 1990s, he said.

"When we're dealing with something like Burning Man, I think we need to double and triple check because it's not like there's resources around the corner," Monzo said. Black Rock City is located about two hours north of Reno in the Black Rock Desert.

It is possible that CrowdRx will reach out to local ambulance and hospital entities for collaboration, according to Monzo. Humboldt General Hospital is not interested in working with CrowdRx, according to Songer, the hospital's spokesman.

CrowdRx will be providing essentially the same services that Humboldt General Hospital did, though perhaps on a larger scale. Basic first aid will be available in more locations, according to Graham, and a central clinic will provide for more serious needs, such as broken bones, detoxication and dehydration.

Medical staff treated more than 6,100 patients in 2014, according to Burning Man's 2014 Afterburn report. The majority of incidents involved people with minor injuries, such as scrapes and burns, as well as dehydration. Staff also see their share of participants who are heavily intoxicated by alcohol or drugs.

While Burning Man would like to make it as viable as possible for participants to stay on the playa while being treated, Graham said critical injuries will be treated at the nearest hospital to the playa: Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno.

Despite the concern from the BLM, Burning Man feels that it will be prepared when the time comes for this year's event from Aug. 30 to Sept. 7.

"We have plenty of time," Graham said.