A Wink and a Nod to a Semi-Annual Mass Casualty Event
By Andy Caldwell
Twice a year, students who live in Isla Vista and their “guests” participate in two unsanctioned events, Halloween, and Deltopia. The County of Santa Barbara, over the years, has tried to curb the excess associated with these events by way of limiting bands, kegs of beer, access to the beach, etc. What have they not done? One thing they haven’ done is ask UCSB and Santa Barbara City College to sanction (suspension anyone?) any of their students who are cited, arrested, or need to be medically treated for overdosing on drugs and alcohol, and to help pay for most of the cost of these parties.
On the note of overdosing on drugs, what the press release below did not mention is that Supervisor Laura Capps is now making an annual door-to-door trek through IV distributing Narcan to every household to help prevent an opioid overdose or death.
Could that not be construed as a subtle invitation or inducement to indulge?
If any other community group in our county held a mass event that required 300 cops and dozens of medical personnel to come to the scene prepared for a “mass casualty” event (the county’s words, not mine), do you think the county would send out a press release touting how well they responded to the same?
I have asked the county to cough up the details about the cost of this massive waste of taxpayer dollars as this situation is getting more and more out of control as you can see from the stats below. Finally, the public has a right to know how many of the people who were either cited or arrested will be let off with a slap on the wrist?
The following is the verbatim press release with some emphasis added:
“The County of Santa Barbara is releasing preliminary figures from the unsanctioned Deltopia spring break street party in Isla Vista, which took place from Friday, April 4, 2025, to Sunday, April 6, 2025.
“Emergency Medical Services Agency reported 135 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) contacts, a 27% increase from 2024’s 106 contacts. This year, 12 patients were transported directly to hospitals, and 57 patients were treated in the EMS Medical tent, with 13 requiring a transfer to the hospital. Most cases involved alcohol intoxication, minor injuries, or anxiety. Pre-staged paramedic foot teams and a field treatment site helped reduce pressure on local hospitals and ensured timely on-scene care.
“Law enforcement issued 485 citations and made 84 arrests, compared to 256 citations and 32 arrests in 2024, and 151 citations and 23 arrests in 2023. Additionally, five underage DUI arrests were also made during the weekend at nearby checkpoints and by saturation patrol. Despite the large crowds, there were no fatalities, cliff falls, or injuries to officers.
“The safety of our community is the county’s highest priority. Preparing for and responding to Deltopia is a huge lift for hundreds of dedicated county staff each year, in partnership with students, campus and community leaders," said Chair of the Board of Supervisors Laura Capps. "I’m thankful to our first responders and medical teams for their efforts in preventing serious injuries, fatalities and unforeseen crises. While sunny skies and larger crowds did lead to more citations, enforcement helped keep the event under control and our community safe.
“Lieutenant Joe Schmidt, manager of the Isla Vista Foot Patrol Station, said, ‘This year’s Deltopia operation showcased the strength of teamwork and efficiency. Our team, made up of nearly 300 deputies and officers from eight law enforcement agencies, worked tirelessly to maintain public safety and respond quickly to medical emergencies. With the larger-than-usual crowds, our officers did an excellent job keeping up and ensuring the safety of the community.’
“In anticipation of the large number of attendees, joint planning among Santa Barbara County Fire, American Medical Response, Alcoholic Beverage Control, University of California Police, California Highway Patrol, Santa Maria Police, Lompoc Police, Ventura County Sheriff, Santa Barbara Police, San Luis Obispo Police, and Santa Barbara County Emergency Medical Services allowed for coordinated response and pre-staged resources.
“The Santa Barbara County EMS Agency designated the event as a pre-planned mass casualty event, allowing for advance staging of medical resources to preserve system function and prevent surges at local hospitals.
“As in previous years, the EMS Agency—alongside volunteers from the County Health Department’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)—staffed a Field Treatment Site, or medical tent, to reduce hospital impact. The County Fire Department deployed multiple paramedic foot teams, while AMR staffed five additional ambulances and County Fire added two more, all of which rendezvoused with foot teams at pre-designated locations to facilitate patient transport.
“New this year was the deployment of mutual aid medical resources from neighboring counties. Interim EMS Director Vince Pierucci stated, “This year we relied on mutual aid provided by both the Ventura County and San Luis Obispo County EMS Agencies, which sent additional personnel including ambulances and MRC staff. The support of our tri-county partners was invaluable in protecting those attending Deltopia and maintaining the stability of our local EMS system.”
End of Press Release
•••
The county spent how much time, energy, and money, so that tens of thousands of (mostly) college students could party on the streets of IV at taxpayer expense without killing themselves and the county is congratulating itself for a job well done? The supervisors and powers that be act as if society would bear the blame if bad things happened to these students sans our planning on a mass casualty event.
That fits the description of a codependent enabling relationship, as the county is ultimately facilitating the destructive behavior patterns of these adult students year, after year, after year.
Andy Caldwell, Executive Director, COLAB
Take a look at COLAB’s latest video, “The Great Fee Heist”
“mass event that required 300 cops and dozens of medical personnel “
And the. It’s banned the Bubble Guy from blowing bubbles in public and they required permits for the annual polar plunge gathering citing the need for extra cleanup.
Meanwhile they allow the IV massive crowds.
This is akin to the BLM riots while we were supposed to stay locked in our homes
They support BLM riots in the middle of the Pandemic.
No permits, no consequences.
Wake up, vote differently. Government works for you and me.
UCSB must now start paying for all these emergency services and over 300 work force! Enough is enough.