Community Statement on July 7 Medical Emergency

Dear Fireflies,

Many of you may have witnessed emergency vehicles and personnel on Friday night. In the interest of community transparency and to address community questions we would like to share the following information.

On the evening of Friday, July 7th, three participants had medical emergencies at our event. Firefly volunteers and retained on-site medical staff worked quickly to provide care and call for outside help.

Professional medical staff escorted one distressed participant to the First Aid tent for care and observation. During care they became unresponsive, and medical staff and volunteers performed CPR until the arrival of local emergency responders. Unfortunately, this participant was pronounced dead after receiving care from local emergency responders.

Two other participants in distress were transported to nearby hospitals for care. They have both been discharged and are expected to make a full recovery.

Firefly expresses our profound gratitude to the dozens of volunteers, medical staff, and emergency responders who stepped up to offer care and logistical support.

We are devastated by this tragedy and encourage our community to come together during this difficult time to support one another. If you need personal mental health support due to this traumatic event, this Massachusetts government resource page (https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mental-health-crisis-support) lists behavioral health helplines and crisis resources that are available to help support you. Additional resources may be available for volunteers; please contact us for more information.

If you are interested in sharing your support or assistance services with the volunteers and participants most impacted by these events, or in organizing supportive community activities, please email us at care@fireflyartscollective.org.