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5 Best Security Practices For County and State Fairs

5 Best Security Practices For County and State Fairs

by | Jan 3, 2022 | Safety and Emergency Planning

As many fairgrounds return to holding large scale events, including their annual fair, it’s time to re-evaluate your organizations fairtime security processes and policy(s). Another reason to do this – the high turnover of Fair Management and Staff due to Covid 19. Between layoffs and retirements, a large number of fairs across the United States have new leadership in their organization. Some of these individuals have prior fair experience or event management experience, and yet, many come from non-fair industry/non-event management careers. Regardless of your status, take a minute to read the following helpful information. 

It’s your first (or 20th) fair, opening day, you have just opened your gates, and you get a call from your head of security who is reporting a security issue at your admission gate. An individual has arrived at your admission gate with a boa constrictor wrapped around their neck, and is demanding access to your grounds with the boa constrictor. This individual claims that this is an emotional support animal. Your head of security has denied access based on your policy: service animals are allowed which does not include emotional support animals. Information regarding service animals is posted on your website, in the parking lot and admission gate. Your security team has been trained in ADA protocol. After some back and forth, the individual leaves, and informs you of their intent to file a lawsuit for ADA discrimination. Your head of security returns to their office to write up a brief report. You return to your office and write up a brief report. Pertinent information includes date, time, location, and what transpired. Fair continues, and two days later, you receive a letter from the individuals attorney indicating their intent to file suit for discrimination. 

Your attorney has been called in, and asks for a copy of your security policies, admission procedures, staff training, etc. Can you provide that information and documentation? If so, congratulations, it’s time to continue that process and on-going staff training. If you have no idea what the attorney is referring to or if you haven’t experienced an incident or crisis (large or small scale) it’s definitely time to begin learning what your responsibility is as leader for your organization. 

Here are 5 best security practices that can easily be implemented regardless of the size of your organization and fair. These are all low cost yet effective ways to reduce your risk of liability for your organization. Make sure to document each step you take. 

#1 – Helpful Information on Website:

In today’s cell phone based living style, make sure that your website is mobile friendly first. Use this free tool from google to check https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly.

Next, you need to have an FAQ section, What To Know Before You Go section or someplace on your website that you can provide information to your attendees. Here is an example of a fair’s “Visitor Policy” page on their website.

This information provides your guest(s) with adequate information to prepare for their visit to your fair. Using color codes of green for what’s allowed and red for what’s prohibited is a good idea for most people to know green is go and red is stop. 

#2 Post Signage In Parking Lots and By Admission Gates

Having information online is great, however, it’s also important to list in your parking lots and by your admission gates. Depending on your demographic, you may consider having the information translated into other languages. Here are two examples of signage to consider: 

I would encourage you to ‘brand’ your signage to include your organization’s logo at a minimum. This way, if you do need to provide documentation. It’s obvious that the signage was for your event. 

# 3 – Conduct A Pre-Fair Security Table Top Exercise

At least 2 months prior to Fair your organization should conduct a ‘table top’ exercise addressing a potential situation that could happen at your facility. Participants should include law enforcement (sheriff, police department, state police, etc), private security, ambulance, first aid, fair management team (including any supervisor level positions). In addition, Lead Staff from the following fair related departments should participate: Admissions, Parking, Maintenance, Administration, Racing (Auto/Horse), Competitive Exhibits, Concessions and Retail Vendors, HR, and Entertainment. 

In many cases, there are always new personnel in their roles at the different agency’s the fair would work with. Bringing everyone together in one room and having introductions (name and role at the fair) will allow for putting a ‘name to a face’. Your fair team knows each other, those outside your organization need to understand your team’s roles and area’s of responsibility.

Potential incidents to plan for: Active Shooter, Power Outage, Bomb Threat, Fire, Robbery, Fire, weather related activities, earthquake or anything you’ve seen happen in the news. Keep a record of which topics were reviewed and what years. Again, it will help if you ever need to present that information in a court of law.

#4 – Trained Crowd Manager Training Opportunities

The International Association of Venue Management has a quality program for anyone who will have a role of responsibility at your facility (aka anyone who is a supervisor and higher level in the organization). At a minimum lead personnel from the following departments should be trained: Parking, Admissions, Security, Competitive Exhibits (all department superintendents), Food and Retail Vendors and HR. The cost for this 6 hour training is nominal. It will provide your team with a high level of training in crowd management. It will also give your team the confidence to handle a situation that will arise during their role in your organization. 

Here is the link for the IAVM’s Trained Crowd Manager site: https://www.trainedcrowdmanager.com/#/home/

#5 – Post A Security Phone Number/Emergency Number for Public To Call

Assign one phone number to be used by the public to call in the event that they see something, or need emergency assistance while on your grounds. In many places, dialing 911 will result in the call being diverted to a regional call center rather than a local dispatcher. Find out from your local law enforcement how their 911 system works. It’s possible that your contact can find a work around to the 911 system. 

I’ve worked at Fairs that had an ambulance show up that was not dispatched by our first aid – a patron had called into the 911 service, which was a regional dispatch in a county over 90 minutes away. We had to scramble to get the ambulance directed to the correct gate closest to the incident. After that incident, our team worked with the local sheriff and fire department (our law enforcement and first aid providers) to insure all 911 calls for incidents at the fairgrounds were re-routed to our onsite sheriff dispatch office. 

So there you have 5 Security Best Practices that can easily be implemented at your organization: 

#1 – Helpful Information On Website

#2 – Post Signage In Parking Lots And By Admission Gates

#3 – Conduct A Pre-Fair Security Table Top Exercise

#4 – Trained Crowd Manager Programs

#5 –  Post A Security Phone Number/Emergency Number for Public To Call

By implementing these 5 best practices you’ll be prepared for when that incident happens and how you and your team respond. You’ll also be able to defend your actions in a court of law – if that becomes the case.

WildlySuccessfulFair.com was created to help County and State Fair Management Teams in planning their annual fair. From selling more tickets, to making your fair safer, we strive to provide relevant information from successful fairs across the United States. Make sure to Follow and Like us on Facebook and Instagram. 

If you have a topic you’d like more information on, please email us [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.

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Emergency Planning Resources and Tips

by | Nov 21, 2018 | Blog, Safety and Emergency Planning

Are you and your team ready to face an emergency evacuation of your Fairgrounds during Fair? And what if something happened during a non-Fairtime event? Have you reviewed your emergency evacuation plan lately? Is it fairtime specific or can it also be used at any time? Do you conduct “emergency scenarios” on a regular basis as a training exercise for your team? Do you know what your emergency plan is? If you have had staff changes, is your emergency/evacuation plan up to date? Do your Board of Directors know what their role is if an emergency was to occur on your fairgrounds? Who is authorized to speak to media during an event? …………. and the list goes on!.

These are all very important questions to ask of yourself and your organization.  Take some time to develop an emergency action plan/emergency response plan/…..whatever you choose to call it. Make sure it exists and that your team and Board of Directors know what their roles area during an emergency, and…..practice! You can never practice enough!

The public’s expectation when they step onto your fairgrounds is that they will be safe. While no one can predict every type of scenario, make sure your team is prepared to communicate if an emergency were to occur on your fairgrounds.

Here are some items to include in your emergency plan:

  1. Identify who can initiate the emergency plan. If you have a small team, it may seem obvious who will make the decision, but this should be written down. During your Fair, this decision making responsibility may change to law enforcement.
  2. If the situation requires outside resources, such as first aid or law enforcement then call 911 or  call your on-site emergency number.
  3. Names, positions and cell phone numbers of your Management Team.
  4. The location of where the Incident Command Center will be. This could be your administration office board room, or the office that your security personnel are during the fair. Having identified a couple alternative locations is important in the event that your primary location isn’t available.
  5. Regrouping Area – This would be the location that all employees would report to in the event that all buildings and structures are damaged. There should be a primary and secondary regrouping area in the event that the primary regrouping area is unavailable or unaccessible.
  6. Responsibilities and Actions of managers and supervisors – If first responders are called in, they will take action immediately and will manage the incident. Your role is to assist the first responders if asked, but more importantly to take care of your team and the public.
    • Management Team – meet in the designated area to access incident and notify their supervisors of the incident via cell phone, land line, radio or in person if unable to reach their staff.
    • Supervisors – report to their work station unless they are involved in the incident. If necessary, evacuate their work area and insure that all their employees are accounted for.
    • Employees – assist in directing patrons to the nearest exit or to safe areas away from the incident. Employees may be asked to assist first responders as well. After completing their tasks, then they will report to the regrouping area.
    • Human Resources – make sure to have an up to date list of which employees are working that day. This list will be used to verify the employee’s presence at the regrouping area.
  7. Media – make sure to have a media protocol in place. This will identify who is authorized to speak on behalf of the organization. First responders will have their public information officer (PIO) on site or will be communicating with them if they are offsite. It’s important that the Fair’s media spokesperson work with the PIO’s to insure a consistent message.
  8. Evacuation – identify who has the authority to make the decision to evacuate. If first responders are involved, the decision is theirs. If no first responders are on site, the CEO/Management team will most likely make the decision. It is possible that the on-site Supervisor will also have to make the decision.
  9. List of local emergency contacts – law enforcement (sheriff and police), fire department, private security if present
  10. Note that 911 should be used ONLY in the event of an immediate life threatening crisis or emergency.
  11. Regional Disaster – your fairgrounds may be designated as a disaster relief center for the Office of Emergency Services. Make sure you have spoken with those in your area to learn their protocol and their expectations as well as your’s during a regional disaster.

Most important of all, don’t let an incident be the first time you interact with first responders in your area. Set up regular meetings (annual/quarterly) to meet and discuss and review emergency planning procedures. Staff changes with first responders just like our fair staff changes. It’s important to know each other before an incident.

Taking the steps above will help you and your organization be prepared when that emergency or incident does arise.

If you would like to purchase a copy of the book, How to Plan Pay For and Put On a Wildly Successful Fair click here.