As you’re enjoying your favorite amusement rides, indulging that craving for cotton candy and funnel cake or watching some spectacle from the grandstand, there is one thing you’re probably not worrying about: Safety. But that’s OK, because there are plenty of other people doing the worrying for you.
Before the Chenango County Fair opened on Tuesday afternoon, inspectors from a variety of state and local agencies had already made multiple rounds of the fairgrounds’ 35 acres, making sure that every vendor and exhibitor had their I’s dotted and T’s crossed. I know, because I tagged along with a few of them.
On Tuesday morning, just a few hours before the fair was scheduled to open to the public, I met up with Jason Lawrence, code enforcement officer and fire marshall extroardinaire, Norwich Fire Chief Tracy Chawgo and Firefighters Terry Kuhn and Bob Barnes. Together, we made one last sweep of the fairgrounds.
I followed their lead as, starting near Gate 2 (which I had always mistakenly believed was the main gate), we checked each vendor tent.
“Anything that doesn’t look right, probably isn’t,” Tracy told me, as we checked fire ratings on the tents themselves, made sure each tent stake was capped and even kicked a few tent poles. We checked for combustibles, too.
The rain had caused some set up delays, so when someone wasn’t ready for their inspection, Jason made note so he’d be reminded to come back. Of course, any problems we found were noted as well.
One of the main focuses of our inspection was the electrical side of things. We kept our eye out for inadequate extension cords and checked the breaker box on each electric pole.
Jason and Tracy told me that one of the recurring issues they encounter is vendors removing the breakers installed in the box in order to use their own. In doing so, they often leave uncovered spaces where someone could potentially stick their finger and get electrocuted. Sure enough, that was the case in the very first box we checked. Jason flagged it with caution tape and made note to send the electrician over to have a look.
After the last tent had been checked, we made our way to the indoor exhibition area where local businesses and non-profits exhibit their wares. Again we were checking for unsafe electrical wiring, as well as for the presence of exit signs and fire extinguishers. Well, that’s what they were looking for. Mostly I was distracted by the exhibits themselves, particularly in Floral Hall.
By the time we left the exhibition hall, the size of our little group doubled as we picked up a few additional firemen who had been doing a walk through of their own. Tracy told me it was important for each to get the lay of the land, so to speak, so they would know their way around in the event of an emergency. This other group was also checking to make sure there was adequate room to maneuver fire apparatus on the various access roads if needed. They do walk throughs every morning during the fair, in fact, to make sure those roadways remain unobstructed.
As we made our way back to the Midway, we started checking food vendors. Each had already been visited by inspectors from the Chenango County Public Health Department, but our job was to check that their permits were conspicuously posted, fuel tanks were secured, extension cords didn’t pose a hazard and that fire extinguishers were on hand as needed.
Jason had a few recommendations for a couple of the booths, like moving a fire extinguisher to a better location and covering some extension cords, but for the most part everything checked out okay. And I had a chance to scope out lunch options.
Next up was the grandstand, where we checked both the stands themselves and the livestock stalls below. Jason had the caution tape out once more, flagging a screw here and a bit of fencing there. Other than that, it was clear sailing and we moved on to the horse and 4-H barns.
Here again we were concentrating on the electrical side of things, fire extinguishers and the like. Inspectors from the New York State Department of Ag and Markets were on the scene as well, making sure that all the animals present had the proper documentation and the conditions in which they were being kept were safe and sanitary.
After we left the 4-H area, we swung through the area on the south side of the fairgrounds were exhibitors and carnies camp or park their RV’s to check their electrical hook ups. Then it was back to the Midway where the Coleman Brothers crews were still working to get all the amusement rides up and running by 4 p.m. when they were due to open. (They too had been delayed because of the heavy rains on Sunday and Monday.)
Watching them and inspecting their work was a representative from the New York State Department of Labor, which happens to be the state agency tasked with inspecting all those rides at every venue. Armed with pink caution tape, he was flagging any issue he came across, each of which would have to be addressed before the rides were allowed to open to the public.
How long does his inspection usually take? As long as it has to, he told me, to make sure that everything is safe.
I’m happy to say that was the attitude of everyone I came across during our inspection. Those entrusted with safeguarding the public’s welfare take their jobs very seriously, and I, for one, am very thankful for that.
So go out there and enjoy the fair this year, secure in the fact that someone else has sweated the small stuff.