Safety is our primary concern for participants, volunteers, spectators and employees. Emergency Protocol For medical emergencies call 911 first, event staff second. The entire race is within city limits and should have cell phone reception. For non-medical emergencies: Trekking, Orienteering, and Bike Sections Teams who require emergency assistance should: stop racing , contact race administration by calling 716-998-0949, await instructions from race administration. If contact cannot be established with anyone, and if safe to do so, appoint one or two team members to proceed to the nearest transition area and report the nature of the emergency and the location of the person(s) in need of assistance. Upon encountering weather or other environmental conditions rendering it unsafe to proceed, teams should: seek shelter or a safe environment, stop racing and wait until conditions improve. If conditions do not improve within a reasonable period of time contact race administration, advise them of the situation and await instructions, or follow hazardous condition plan.
Paddling Sections Teams that encounter inclement or worsening weather conditions should: put into shore immediately and wait for conditions to improve. if conditions do not improve within a reasonable period of time, teams should contact race administration and await instructions, or follow hazardous condition plan. In the event of a river capsize: capsized racers should swim with the river angling towards shore until reaching shore, and then, if it is reasonably safe to do so, recover the boat and other gear downstream of the capsize site, if they are able. The capsized race participants should immediately inform race administration if assistance of race administration is required. In the event of any other emergency, teams should put into shore immediately and contact race administration and await instructions. General Emergencies
Emergencies are defined as: Mental or physical distress of any team member that in the judgment of the team requires attention. A situation where the team or any member or members of the team become lost. Any other general situation where in the judgment of the team the assistance of race administration, medical personnel, or search and rescue personnel is required. 1. In the event of an emergency race participants shall immediately contact race administration by phone 2. Persons reporting the emergency shall inform race administration of their team number, the location of the team requiring assistance and the nature of the emergency. 3. Upon becoming aware of an emergency, the race administration may provide the following instructions to the team in need of assistance: advise the team to evacuate to the nearest transition area, advise the team to remain in its current location and await assistance from race administration, advise the team to remain in its current location and await evacuation by EMS or other Search and Rescue personnel; or advise the team to move to another location and await assistance of race administration or evacuation by EMS, or other Search and Rescue staff. HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS PLAN There are no perceived hazardous conditions at the Start/Finish area. There will not be any exposed electrical cords, protruding obstacles and hoses. There is no perceived flooding and water related nuisances;there is no perceived problems with vermin because there no food venders and the mass gathering is only at the start for 30 minutes; there is no perceived animal problems because racers are not allowed to have animals. Spectators will have to obey city ordinances and have animals on a leash. If there are of any such conditions that may create a nuisance, health hazard, unsanitary or dangerous conditions for race participants, they will be instructed to go to the nearest Transition Area that is manned with Racing staff. Racing staff will advise the following to race participants:Discontinue racing and wait in the transition area until hazard is over. Seek shelter at the nearest public location. Evacuate the race and travel immediately back to the Start/Finish where participants vehicle is parked. If participant is not able to travel back to vehicle, participants will be instructed to call their personal emergency contact to evacuate them off the course. If race participants cannot reach personal emergency contact, racing Staff will make arrangements to transport participants back to vehicle. Protection from Weather Racers are responsible for their own safety and if there are any conditions that put the participant in harm's way or in a hazardous environment, race participant is responsible for getting into a safe zone. The course has been designed to protect the participants and give them quick access to EMS for emergencies. The Buffalo Paddle-Bike-Run is in city limits where racers can seek shelter at local business, city parks, and use civilians to assist them. If there is weather conditions that create medical emergency, participants should call 911. Racing staff will watch for inclement weather conditions and alert race participants in Transition Areas to evacuate course (travel back to start or call personal emergency contact) or seek shelter.