Wood Dale mum on emergency plans for Prairie Fest
Wood Dale officials say they have a new emergency response plan in place after two people were killed and 22 others injured when high winds from a fast-moving storm knocked over a tent at last year's Prairie Fest.
But they say they won't share them with the public because of unspecified concerns over security.
The annual festival opens its four-day run Thursday evening at Community Park near 655 N. Wood Dale Road.
The emergency plan for last year's fest, which the Daily Herald obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, did not include specific procedures for evacuating crowds in the event of severe weather.
That plan did include an email exchange among city leaders indicating nearby Wood Dale Junior High School could be used as a shelter in an emergency. But there was no indication of whether the school would be open to fest-goers seeking a safe haven.
This time around, city and Wood Dale Elementary District 7 officials say an improved plan is in place, but most are reluctant to discuss it publicly.
Police Chief Greg Vesta referred questions about the plan to City Manager Jeff Mermuys.
"We always look to improve upon and learn from past events, and last year's Prairie Fest is no different," said Mermuys, who was among those injured in the tent collapse. "In that regard, the city reviewed last year's Prairie Fest and made some changes to its plan for handling emergencies, including inclement weather emergencies."
Mermuys stopped short of defining those changes, saying, "We cannot discuss the specifics, however, because doing so could compromise the security of the event."
But District 7 Superintendent Jon Corbett said the new plan makes it abundantly clear the city can use several portions of the adjacent junior high in the event of severe weather.
"Just today, I received an email outlining the plan and police and city officials have done a walk-through of the facility," Corbett said Wednesday. "And they've requested an extra set of keys in the event their fobs don't work. I've granted that request."
Steven Nincic, a 35-year-old father of two, took cover under a tent when the storm hit the grounds last Aug. 2, the final day of the festival. He was struck by a pole as the tent collapsed in a powerful gust of wind and died from massive head injuries.
Mermuys and a Wood Dale police officer standing inches from Nincic were among the injured.
Two wrongful-death lawsuits have been filed in connection with last year's fest: one by Nincic's estate and the other by the estate of 81-year-old Lorraine Nocek, who the suit says died Jan. 4. They both claim Prairie Fest organizers chose not to evacuate the festival grounds despite a National Weather Service severe thunderstorm warning forecasting hail and winds of up to 60 mph.
The suits - neither of which name the city as a defendant - allege festival organizers "inappropriately encouraged" crowds to take cover under the tent instead of moving them inside Wood Dale Junior High, "in direct contradiction to the city's evacuation plan."
Attorney Mike Fisher, who's representing the estates in both lawsuits, said the cases are in the discovery phases.
He said defendants McCook-based Classic Party Rentals and Chicago Special Events Management have "turned over thousands and thousands of documents over the last 60 days" that he and his partner, Colin O'Malley, are reviewing.
"Both lawsuits are very much alive," Fisher said. "But we're at the point where we're running full speed in the mud."
Mermuys said the city is using a new tent vendor and a new stage manager this year.
It is unclear how or if last year's tragedy will be mentioned this weekend.
"As for a moment of silence or memorial, the city has not yet decided what, if anything, will be done," Mermuys said. "I can tell you a moment of silence was held during the first city council meeting that was held following last year's Prairie Fest."
Wood Dale Mayor Annunziato Pulice, who was injured and briefly hospitalized for injuries he sustained while helping rescue people stuck under the tent, did not return several messages seeking comment.