While cheering and celebrating in Tiger Stadium, students may not notice some of the most important people at the game — the stadium medical staff.
At a typical game, the team includes about 30 to 35 professional first responders and about 40 first aid volunteers who care for the lives of the 92,000 people in Death Valley.
David Taylor, assistant director for the Athletics Department, attributes some of the sickness in the stadium to general illness and others to excessive drinking.
“Students are often dehydrated, and the heat causes nausea,” he said. “Drinking also contributes to the stadium.”
Taylor said once in the stadium, students in need can go to the first aid station. If a student becomes sick in the stands, he advised students report it to the staff immediately.
In the case of a clean-up, the call is reported to the section where the accident occurred. Staff members in the area will safely dispose of the waste. He said the custodial staff is designated to clean up spills and human waste, while the medical staff responds when blood is involved.
Taylor said the City of Baton Rouge EMS is responsible for problems outside of the stadium where fans tailgate. The responders drive around campus parking lots with a cart of supplies looking for anyone who might need assistance and station their headquarters off Nicholson Drive near Lot B.
Michelle Forbes, undeclared freshman and first aid volunteer, said the most common problems she encounters include heat-related illnesses.
“We also see some falls and scrapes, but mostly, we see students with heat-related illnesses from excessive drinking and not enough water,” she said.
In order to prevent heat-related ailments, Forbes suggests students drink water while tailgating and stay hydrated throughout the game.
Forbes said the procedure for volunteer first aid responders includes documenting the situation, receiving permission to treat the patient and performing basic diagnoses.
“If the situation is serious, we have professional first responders and a trauma unit,” she said.
Forbes said she usually works on the lower student section, which is one of the more crowded areas of the stadium.
Each room holds about five to seven responders depending on the number of volunteers that day and the size of the specific room.
AJ Sagan, political science senior, said he frequently attends home games, and the most common situations he’s encountered while in the stadium are students vomiting and passing out on the bleachers.
“The student section is packed and crazy,” Sagan said. “Students are jumping up and down, and the sun is blaring down [during day time games].”
Sagan said nighttime games are more chaotic than those during the day.
Despite the additional day heat, he explained students have a longer opportunity to drink while tailgating for night games.
“When students are tailgating all day, they are more likely to be intoxicated,” Sagan said.
 
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Contact Kate Mabry at [email protected]