As of Sept. 10, 2019, the Alienstock Festival has reportedly been cancelled. The event stemmed from a joke Facebook post called “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us,” and ultimately morphed into a festival in the Nevada desert, but the creator has since pulled out of the event.
We spoke with Lincoln County (Nevada) Fire Protection District Fire Chief/Emergency Manager, Eric Holt, about how they were preparing for the event, and the details of their incident action plan. Read more here.
By EMS1 Staff
LAS VEGAS — Lincoln County officials are forming an emergency plan for two upcoming “Storm Area 51" events, which may see around 35,000 to 40,000 attendees.
The Associated Press reported that officials approved one of the events, dubbed “Alien Stock,” will take place in Rachel, Nevada, near the infamous U.S. Air Force test area. However, county officials are worried that the number of visitors that may attend the event will be an issue for emergency service providers, communications and internet services.
“The cell phone system is going to go down,” Lincoln County Commission Chairman Varlin Higbee said. “You get more than a couple of hundred people there, and it’s going to crash. Cell service won’t be available.”
County officials rejected the proposal for an event called “Peacestock 51" after concerns were raised about the safety and the environmental damage the event may cause, Stars and Stripes reported.
The two events stem from an internet post that invited people to “storm” Area 51, and it gained so much traction that county officials have been meeting with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the sheriffs of White Pine, Nye counties and the Nevada Highway Patrol to ensure they are ready to meet the demand of such crowds.
An emergency declaration was pre-signed, which would allow Lincoln County to seek financial help and would allow emergency personnel around the to prepare for the event.
Festival and event organizers will need to submit a final plan to the commission committee by Sept. 3.