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Medical personnel prepared to take on thousands at NFL Draft

The final touches are being put on downtown with two days left until the NFL Draft.
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The final touches are being put on downtown with two days left until the NFL Draft. 

It’s an event Mike Carlton and his team have been preparing for since January. 

“We’ve been working on getting it staffed, getting our equipment ready,” said Carlton, manager of St. Thomas Emergency Medical Services. 

Fifty nurses, doctors, and paramedics will handle medical emergencies at the draft and The NFL Draft Experience. 

“We cover the large footprint of downtown,” Carlton said. 

They’ll also have “rovers” walking around looking for people who need help. 

“They’ll have a backpack on with medical supplies in the backpack,” Carlton said. 

Seven ambulances and tents will be spread out at Nissan Stadium, Walk of Fame Park, and other areas downtown, according to Carlton. 

“We’re almost like a medical ER,” he said. 

Carlton says they’re used to handling big events. 

They work the CMA Fest and cover every Titans’ game. 

He says the emergencies are usually the same. 

“They drank too much,” Carlton said. “They were out in the sun too much. They didn’t eat right.” 

Staff have been out since Apr. 5 when the stage was first being built. 

Carlton says St. Thomas will likely have workers downtown until the draft main stage is taken down. 

“You’ve got to come prepared to work,” he said. 

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