Virginia Beach EMS message ahead of July 4th celebration

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — About 10,000 people are expected to gather in Virginia Beach for the July 4 celebration under the American flag. There’s plenty of entertainment planned, but EMS officials also want you to be safe.

This year, the event will feature music, street performers and, of course, fireworks. Mike Hilton, director of Live on Atlantic, said there will be live music at three different parks along the Oceanfront.

“At 17th Street Park, we have the Deloreans at 7 p.m., a very festive band,” Hilton said. “At 24th Street Park, we have the Tidewater Winds Concert Band, and at 31st Street Park, we have Buckshot, a very fun country band.”

These groups start at 7 p.m. and lead up to the fireworks at 9:30 p.m. But in the meantime, it can be hot on the beach sand – experts recommend watching out for the first signs of heatstroke or heat exhaustion.

“You start feeling sick, you stop sweating, you don’t feel good,” said Rob Gramkowski, division chief at Virginia Beach EMS. “Some people feel abdominal pain. That’s kind of the very first symptom.”

The sand will also be extremely hot, so everyone is advised to keep their shoes on until they get to the water. And, Gramkowski said, be careful of your pets who have sensitive paws.

And here’s something you might not think about: properly anchoring your umbrella or tent.

“We’ve had accidents all over the country where the wind is blowing umbrellas away and injuring people, either minor injuries or serious injuries,” Gramkowski said.

Virginia Beach lifeguards have not yet seen any deaths from rip currents this year, and they would like to keep it that way. If you find yourself swept out to sea, don’t panic, but swim parallel to shore and then signal for help.

To follow all the updates leading up to Thursday night’s celebration, visit VirginiaBeach.gov/eventinfo.