Toronto official demands stricter safety measures for dance music events

Toronto councilwoman Paula Fletcher has publicly announced she will be asking the Community Development and Recreation Committee to require electronic music festival promoters to staff city paramedics on-site.

As the issue of safety becomes a rising topic of conversation among event frequenters and the dance music community, Fletcher is pushing for organizers to cover the costs of stronger protocol.

Although almost all large-scale events are equipped with qualified medical teams on festival grounds, personnel must wait for city first responders to arrive and transport patients to the emergency room, a transfer that can "cost precious seconds in an overdose situation".

In light of the Toronto council member admitting that shutting down events entirely is unreasonable, the proposed plan of action seems to be an astute resolution.

Councillor Paula Fletcher will be presenting her proposition to the Toronto Community Development and Recreation Committee next week.

Sydney is Mixmag's US Digital Content Editor. Follow her on Twitter here