Fredonia officials sought last week to prepare residents for “an event we won’t see again for 125 years, as Mayor Michael Ferguson put it.

Public safety officials did most of the talking about the April 8 total solar eclipse at a Fredonia Opera House forum. “We’re going to make recommendations. You guys will make decisions,” Fire Chief Joshua Myers told the audience.

First responders have planned for the event for months. “I’d rather be overprepared and underwhelmed than overwhelmed and underprepared,” Myers said.

Anywhere from 50,000 to 250,000 visitors are expected in Chautauqua County for an event that some will make a five-day weekend out of. A million people could be traveling through the county during that time, Myers stated.

“If it’s going to be cloudy, cloudy, cloudy, and the weather changes and it’s 100% clear,” planners are expecting a lot of impromptu decisions by out-of-towners to travel here for eclipse viewing — and lodging will not be available for the vast majority.

Myers recommended that Fredonians “treat this as a winter storm,” stocking up on groceries, prescriptions, and gasoline ahead of time.

“If you can stay home and have a party with your family, that’s our best suggestion,” he said. “Congestion on the road is a bad thing for us.”

Fredonia Fire Department Capt. Dan Aldrich said they expect a surge in calls for falls — more people mean more accidents.

He explained retinopathy — staring directly at the sun prior to or after the full eclipse can easily lead to eye damage. “That’s why we have the glasses to hand out to everyone,” he said.

Aldrich said people can take their glasses off during totality, but “as soon as you see any type of light coming back,” they should put them back on.

Myers said of the eclipse, “It’s really going to kind of mess up how we normally do things. Getting EMS to the hospital will be crazy.”

Planners anticipate plenty of stranded motorists, who burned up all their gas stuck in traffic. Myers claimed that first responders will get more 911 calls — despite massive media coverage beforehand, some people will still not know what is going on when the sun is blotted from the sky, and panic.

However, he assured, “911 calls do take precedence. If you call 911, you’re not going to get a busy signal.”

There will be an emergency operations center set up for the village. “All hands on deck for this event,” Myers said.

Police Chief David Price said of the forum, “It’s not to scare people. We’re going to be witness to a once-in-a-lifetime event. Tonight was about giving you an idea of what we’re planning for.”

He echoed Myers in stating, “Plan on being with your family. Take the time to enjoy the event in the safe confines of your home.” For those who do leave home, “plan, (while) knowing it may take you longer to get somewhere.”

Ferguson, who has consistently vocalized his desire to grow and advance Fredonia’s business community, said the eclipse offers “an opportunity for (businesses) to capitalize on this.”

It was noted earlier in the forum that the Tour Chautauqua website showed 46 eclipse viewing events across the county, as of that day.