NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The most visible security for the Kansas State Fair may be the drone that is flying above the grounds thanks to Kansas State University, but that has worked in concert with the other measures to make this a safe fair for the over 100,000 people that attended so far from Friday, Sept. 6 to Sunday Sept. 8.
One of the concrete barriers set up for emergencies actually got caught on a Hutchinson Fire apparatus trying to turn into the fairgrounds Monday morning for Emergency Management day at the fair. That happened around 8:45 a.m. Monday.
"It looked like they turned a little too soon, got the tire of the truck caught and they stopped it, immediately," Schulz said.
The drone, in particular, was a help on the first night of the Fair.
"One of the situations we were told of yesterday was where we had two medicals up in the grandstand during Wynonna," Schulz said. "We had a little child and I think, a lady, one on each side. We were able to actually get the drone so that they could tell exactly, for the paramedics, where to go. They were able to pinpoint, go up about five more rows, that's where she's sitting. Those kinds of things have helped us immensely."
Lt. David Golden also told the fair board at their meeting on Monday that they have an ongoing case regarding brandishing firearms on the fairgrounds where the cameras helped them find an abandoned weapon before anyone could pick it up and that had they not had the camera access, it could have taken them much longer to get that situation resolved.