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

  • Allegion, Comfort Technologies Implement Mobile Credentials at the Artisan Apartment Homes in Florida

    Artisan Apartment Homes, a luxury apartment complex in Dunedin, Florida, recently transitioned from mechanical keys to electronic locks and centralized system software with support from Allegion US, a leading provider of security solutions, technology and services, and Florida-based Comfort Technologies, which specializes in deploying multifamily access control, IoT devices and software management solutions. Read Now

  • Mall of America Deploys AI-Powered Analytics to Enhance Parking Intelligence

    Mall of America®, the largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America, announced an expansion of its ongoing partnership with Axis Communications to deploy cutting-edge car-counting video analytics across more than a dozen locations. With this expansion, Mall of America (MOA) has boosted operational efficiency, improved safety and security, and enabled more informed decision-making around employee scheduling and streamlining transportation for large events. Read Now

  • Security Industry Association Launches New “askSIA” AI Tool

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has unveiled a brand-new SIA member benefit – askSIA, a conversational AI agent designed to help users get the most out of their SIA membership, easily access SIA resources and find the latest information on SIA’s training and courses, reports and publications, events, certification offerings and more. SIA members can easily find askSIA by visiting the SIA homepage or looking for the askSIA icon in the top left of webpages. Read Now

    • Industry Events
  • Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

    A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs. Read Now

  • Sustainable Video Solution Delivered for Landmark City of London Office Development

    An advanced, end-to-end video solution from IDIS, with a focus on reducing waste and costs, has helped a major office development in the City of London align its security with sustainability objectives. Read Now

New Products

  • 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.

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.