The Florida-Georgia game is one of the biggest parties of the year, and to ensure safety, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue personnel will staff UF’s student safety areas.
During the game or at the after party, chaos can ensue as students guzzle copious amounts of alcohol, embracing the tradition of the event known as The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
To help them navigate the weekend safely, UF will have Sideline Student Safety Zones, where students of both universities can get access to taxis, cell phone chargers, computers, first aid and maps of the area, a press release said.
In addition, there will be free snacks, water and coffee at the stations.
During the past four years, the safety zones were staffed by UF volunteers, but this year the stations will be staffed by the City of Jacksonville. Medical services will be provided by the city’s Fire and Rescue Department, UF spokesman Steve Orlando said.
The only university personnel will be six consultants who have previously been volunteers for the event.
“It provides a safe place for students to go to and get any kind of help that they need,” said Maureen Miller, a specialist with UF’s GatorWell Health Services. “It’s a place where students can kind of regroup, and we’re gonna be there to help them, reassure them and see what their needs are.”
Students who seek treatment at the safety zones will not face consequences for alcohol-related incidents.
“We’re not looking to get people thrown into the drunk tank,” Orlando said. “We want people who need help to get it.”
In total, there will be six zones open to students.
Opening and closing times for the stations vary, but generally the stations will be open from about 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and noon to 3 a.m. Saturday.
The zones were initially set up to provide medical help for students, but over the years the services provided have expanded to include help for more than just binge drinkers, Orlando said.
“What we’ve found over the years in doing this is it’s not just people who’ve been drinking who find themselves in trouble,” he said. “Cell phones run out of juice, sometimes heat gets to them, they get dehydrated, they forget where they’re staying, or they get separated from a friend.”
