State and County Fairs Increase Security Measures in Wake of Mass Shootings

State and County Fairs Increase Security Measures in Wake of Mass Shootings

Fair organizers in New York, Los Angeles and Wisconsin are responding to safety concerns with assurances that their events are well-protected.

Following a series of mass shootings that have made many Americans fearful of being gunned down in public spaces, law enforcement officers and private companies are reassessing the security measures in place at state and county fairs across the country.

The Wisconsin State Fair kicked off last Thursday, just a few days before mass killings in an El Paso, Texas Walmart and a Dayton, Ohio bar took over 30 lives and injured dozens of others. A gunman previously targeted a food festival in California on July 28, killing three attendees before being shot and killed by police.

The fair’s CEO, Kathleen O’Leary, told WISN-TV that the events were “unthinkable.”

“Large event organizers should always be thinking about that,” O’Leary said. “Safety and security is always at the forefront of everything we do.”

O’Leary’s event, held in West Allis, has its own police force of more than 100 officers to respond to critical incidents and 400 others who staff the metal detectors at the fair’s entrances. There are also more than 200 security cameras being monitored at a command post, according to WISN-TV.

"From a reactive standpoint, we're not adding anything at this time,” O’Leary said. "Every measure that we could possibly take to ensure the safety for our fairgoers has been taken."

Organizers of the Los Angeles County Fair, which lasts from Aug. 30 to Sept. 22, say they are stepping up their security measures this year as they prepare to welcome over 1 million attendees. The nonprofit that operates the fair, Fairplex, spent $200,000 to build a command center in the Pomona fairgrounds where police, fire officials and other staff can coordinate emergency responses, The Los Angeles Times reported.

“In light of the environment, we’ve made significant investment to make sure our guests and employees are safe,” Miguel Santana, Fairplex’s chief executive, told the Times. “We always take security seriously but we’ve made a deliberate effort to strengthen our security system.”

Santana added that extra video cameras have been added to monitor the fair’s perimeter along with more metal detectors and a badge-scanning system for employees and contractors entering the grounds. Security forces for the fair also recently conducted a training exercise to practice responding to a mass shooting similar to the one that took place in 2017 at a Las Vegas country music festival, claiming 58 lives and wounding 422 others.

With the state fair in New York just two weeks away, fair organizers say they will have more than 250 active security staff on hand. Attendance averages just under 100,000 people per day, according to Syracuse news station CNYCentral.

The fair’s director, Troy Waffner, said his team has been preparing all year long to prepare for the event, during which the staff monitors social media activity and manages an emergency operations center.

“It’s something we think long and hard and plan for and test,” Waffner told CNYCentral. “You put together an emergency preparedness plan and it really just sits on a shelf and it shouldn’t. We test ours multiple times a year to really drive the message home to how you react if something does happen.”

He added: “I always say, during the 13 days of the fair, the New York State fairgrounds is the best protected and best-mobilized 375 acres there is in the country, probably, with the amount of law enforcement we have here.”

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Top Five Action Items to Elevate Your Data Security Posture Management and Secure Your Data

    October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and every year most tips for security hygiene and staying safe have not changed. We’ve seen them all – use strong passwords, deploy multi-factor authentication (MFA), be vigilant to spot phishing attacks, regularly update software and patch your systems. These are great recommended ongoing tips and are as relevant today as they’ve ever been. But times have changed and these best practices can no longer be the bare minimum. Read Now

  • Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    Boosting Safety and Efficiency

    In alignment with the state of Mississippi’s mission of “Empowering Mississippi citizens to stay connected and engaged with their government,” Salient's CompleteView VMS is being installed throughout more than 150 state boards, commissions and agencies in order to ensure safety for thousands of constituents who access state services daily. Read Now

  • Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    Live From GSX: Post-Show Review

    This year’s Live From GSX program was a rousing success! Again, we’d like to thank our partners, and IPVideo, for working with us and letting us broadcast their solutions to the industry. You can follow our Live From GSX 2023 page to keep up with post-show developments and announcements. And if you’re interested in working with us in 2024, please don’t hesitate to ask about our Live From programs for ISC West in March or next year’s GSX. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
  • People Say the Funniest Things

    People Say the Funniest Things

    By all accounts, GSX version 2023 was completely successful. Apparently, there were plenty of mix-ups with the airlines and getting aircraft from the East Coast into Big D. I am all ears when I am in a gathering of people. You never know when a nugget of information might flip out. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation. 3

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols. 3

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation. 3