Town prepares for weekend

Town personnel are preparing for Halloween, but deciding which characters of "Reservoir Dogs" they will be might not be on their to-do list.

The Chapel Hill police, fire and transportation departments and Orange County Emergency Medical Services are gearing up for another busy Halloween on Franklin Street.

Chapel Hill police officer Phil Smith said officials expect about 70,000 people to visit Franklin Street this year. Last year, a record 78,000 people attended, he said.

Smith said police will increase the number of officers on-hand to 340. He said that officials do not want to be short-handed and that based on last year's attendance, they will need more officers.

Smith could not comment on the number of officers who would not be in uniform.

He also urged students not to consume more alcohol than they can handle and asked that students be patient with officers, especially at checkpoints.

"Come out, have fun and enjoy the event," Smith said.

Many items are prohibited by town ordinances, including alcoholic beverages, coolers, glass bottles, paint, fireworks and explosives, animals, flammable substances and weapons, Smith said.

If officers see these items, the owner will have to deposit the items in a bin or will be asked to leave.

Vehicles should not be parked on Franklin Street after 3 p.m., and towing will begin at 6 p.m.

After 9 p.m., downtown streets will be closed to vehicular traffic except for downtown residents and their guests.

Shuttle buses will run from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. from the Jones Ferry Road, Southern Village, N.C. 54 and University Mall park-and-ride lots. Buses will run continuously from these locations. Round-trip tickets will cost $5, and one-way will cost $3.

Franklin Street will be closed between Raleigh and Mallette streets. Columbia Street will also be shut down from Rosemary Street to Cameron Avenue. To allow for a shuttle drop off, Raleigh Street also will be closed from East Franklin Street to Cameron Avenue.

EMS will set up field hospitals to deal with problems. They will be located at Hill Hall and near the intersection of Church and Rosemary streets, said Kent McKenzie, EMS Emergency Management deputy director.

A dozen paramedics will be present to move injured students to one of the two field hospitals. Ambulances also will be available to take students to either UNC Hospitals or Student Health Services.

Historically, 80 percent of Halloween patients have been treated for alcohol poisoning, McKenzie said. The other 20 percent consists of people with minor cuts, bruises and sprains.

"Guys dress up in drag, they can't handle it, fall and twist their ankles," McKenzie said.

Fire teams will be on foot with fire extinguishers to deal with small fires, Chapel Hill Fire Marshal Caprice Mellon said, adding that they will also ensure that clubs, restaurants and bars are not overcrowded and are in compliance with fire codes.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.