The annual Wing Ding music festival lives up to its rowdy reputation Sunday. Loves Park leaders denied a permit to bring the festival back to the Rockford Speedway this year. So Wing Ding moved to the Rockford Airport, where emergency responders braced themselves for a busy day.

Around 20-thousand people crowd the Rockford Airport for the 16th annual and final Wing Ding all-day rock festival.
One attendee, Troy Biwersi says, "A lot of people just having fun, I think people are letting loose a little bit, holiday weekend."

But it's no holiday for Rockford police and fire.
"This is the largest-scale event that we've ever ramped up for, for a one-day event in the city of Rockford," says Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten. "It's starting to pick up now, the ambulances are moving out quite frequently and we're getting several calls through our command post for injured people."

One woman was hurt when someone fell on her head while crowd surfing. Another man was escorted to the hospital in police custody. He was arrested for fighting an officer, but complained he may have disclocated his shoulder.

As of 7:30 Sunday night, Rockford Fire EMS responders had treated 68 people on scene for their injuries and transported 16 to area hospitals for treatment.
Chief Bergsten says, "There's been some alcohol-related injuries, some possible drug overdoses, falls, trips, some injuries from the dancing and jumping around, people getting trampled on."

Fire and police prepared for the event by setting up mobile command centers. Chief Bergsten explains, "This board just visualizes all the resources that we have on the ground here."

The unit also has its own 911 call center, fielding all emergency calls from the festival. Plus a built-in tower camera gives responders a bird's eye view of their surroundings.

Rockford police have a closer view. They're stationed all over the grounds.
"They're looking for behavior that would escalate to a major fight or something," says Rockford Police Deputy Chief Theo Glover.

Deputy Chief Glover says quick interventions are key because mixing alcohol with this many people can lead to dangerous situations.

By around 7:30 Sunday night, Deputy Chief Glover said only four people had been arrested, mostly for battery charges, but he expected more activty as the night wore on and the alcohol and excitement continued to sink in.