A Quiet New Year's Eve in Voorschoten

Compared to the rest of the region, New Year’s Eve in Voorschoten was relatively quiet. The Voorschoten Fire Department received two reports of small trash fires. Last year, there was only one. The police in our village reported three incidents, compared to ten last year.

New Year’s Eve in the Hollands Midden Safety Region, of which Voorschoten is a part, demanded a great deal of effort from the emergency services. It was a busy night for the collaborating emergency services, but the situation remained under control and there were no major or unusual incidents. Around the clock, police, firefighters, paramedics, and special enforcement officers were working in our village or standing by, ready to spring into action.

Starting the New Year with renewed enthusiasm

Mayor Nadine Stemerdink is proud of the peaceful New Year’s Eve celebration in Voorschoten. “We prepared thoroughly for this New Year’s Eve celebration—from consultations with emergency services and extra efforts by our field staff to announcements in the newspaper and on social media. I’m very happy that all that work paid off. Together, we enjoyed a festive New Year’s Eve. This allows us to tackle all the challenges awaiting us in 2023 with renewed vigor.”

Early in the morning, the Voorschoten municipal sanitation crew made an extra round to collect general waste and newspaper. Later in the day, the staff closed the underground and above-ground containers. The municipality was available by phone in the morning and afternoon to receive reports of fireworks disturbances. Probably due to the bad weather, the disturbances were not as bad as expected, and residents did not need to call the number.

Close cooperation in the region

Elsewhere in the region, New Year’s Eve required a great deal of effort from the collaborating emergency services. It was a busy night, but one that remained under control and passed without any major or unusual incidents. There was close cooperation to ensure a safe New Year’s Eve. For example, various scenarios were prepared, and additional staff were on duty at the dispatch center to handle the large number of calls.

The “Keeping Our First Responders Safe” task force has recently been working to raise awareness about a safe New Year’s Eve. As far as is known, no first responders in the Hollands Midden Safety Region filed police reports. In general, they were able to carry out their duties safely. In a few isolated cases, however, the atmosphere was tense. For example, in Leiden and Alphen aan den Rijn, heavy fireworks were thrown at first responders.

Fire Department, Police, and Emergency Medical Services

Between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., the Hollands Midden Fire Department responded to a total of 111 calls. Last year, there were 148. In most cases, the fire department was dispatched to minor outdoor fires and dumpster fires. There were no major incidents requiring police intervention. As for medical care, there was a clear difference in the volume of patients at the three hospitals and the family doctor clinics.

Things were quieter at the LUMC and at the De Limes GP clinic than last year. At the Midden-Holland GP clinic, the Groene Hart Hospital, and the Alrijne Hospital, it was considerably busier than last year. A total of 41 people were treated for conditions related to New Year’s Eve. Among them were 19 victims who were treated for fireworks-related injuries.

Inspection of Fireworks Sales

The West-Holland Environmental Agency inspected 29 fireworks retail locations and one storage facility. The Midden-Holland Environmental Agency inspected 28 businesses. During the preliminary inspections, six violations were identified. These violations were rectified before the fireworks sales days began. During the fireworks sales days, 11 violations occurred, for which penalty notices will be issued.

A complete overview of the New Year's Eve celebrations can be found on the Hollands Midden Safety Region website.