The County Fair: Where Fun Meets First Aid

Every summer the county fair rolls into town with its smell of funnel cakes, squeal of livestock and the whirl of carnival rides. And every summer my search and rescue team trades our wilderness gear for matching team t-shirts and a booth at the fair. It’s a nice change of pace. We’re there to talk to people, show off our ropes and cool gear and teach some basic preventative SAR skills (such as carrying the Ten Essentials on a hike). We like to remind folks that while they may be the reigning champ of hide-and-seek, if they stay put, we can find them a lot faster. It’s not true search and rescue, but it’s a great way to meet the community and do a little recruiting.

Back in the day, the fair was all about the kids. We’d have a steady stream of lost children or, more often, their parents, as the kids, clever little survivalists that they are, were usually smart enough to come straight to us. We could easily handle half a dozen or more separated families a day. It was our predictable fair rhythm, a fun, wholesome challenge of reuniting families.

But over the years, something has changed. Lost children are still a part of the job, but they’ve been eclipsed by something far more common: medical emergencies. Our fair draws over twenty thousand people a day and it seems they’ve become increasingly creative in finding ways to get into trouble. Now, we’re not the only medical team on site. The fire department and the local ambulance service are there too, but we still get absolutely slammed. This year, the biggest hits were cuts and scrapes, but we also saw plenty of dehydration, heat exhaustion, diabetic complications, an accidental pepper spray discharge and one episode of chest pains. I often find myself wishing for the good old days when a kid on the midway would get ditched by their parents who wanted a “private moment” in the Ferris wheel gondola.

And this year’s medical was relatively tame. We’ve seen it all in the past: anaphylaxis, gunshot wounds, livestock bites, electrocutions and even cardiac arrests. The fair, for our team, has unfortunately become an annual mass casualty rodeo.

How to Stay Safe and Out of Our Tent

While we’re happy to help, we’d much rather see you enjoy the fair without visiting our tent. To help you avoid becoming one of our “patients”, we’ve put together a list of tips. You can help us go back to the days of just finding lost parents by following a few simple rules.

• Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. This is the number one issue we see. The summer heat, combined with a lot of walking, can sneak up on you. Skip the sugary soda and grab a water bottle. And if you’re going to mix alcohol with your fair food, be extra mindful of your water intake.
• Dress for the Weather. Grab hats, sunglasses and sunscreen for the hot days and bring along light layers for the cooler evenings.
• Know Your Vitals. If you have a known medical condition like diabetes or a heart issue, be proactive. Take your medications, monitor yourself and don’t push your limits. The fair is not the time to prove you can handle a twelve-hour day in the sun.
• Mixing Medications and Alcohol? Just Don’t – We’ve seen far too many emergencies start this way.
• Leave the Livestock Alone. The petting zoo is great, but remember that even the friendliest looking animals are still wild. Respect their space, follow all posted rules and don’t assume a cute sheep won’t bite if it feels threatened.
• Mind the Midway. Rides are fun, but if you feel dizzy or have a history of motion sickness, take it easy. We’ve seen a number of people get sick after riding Alien Abduction one time too many. Also, be aware of your surroundings, especially if you have an allergy. That deep-fried onion ring stand might use the same oil as the fried cheese and you don’t want to find that out the hard way.
• Have a Plan. This is where our preventative SAR training comes in. If you get separated from your group, have a designated meeting spot. This simple trick can save hours of anxiety and help our team focus on the people who really need our medical expertise. And remember, make sure your four year old knows that your real names are not “mom” and “dad” and can communicate this information and, perhaps, your phone number to us.  If you fail all of this, your rendezvous plan just might become our tent.

By following these tips, you can minimize your risk of becoming a medical emergency at the fair. And if you do need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to the medical teams on hand. We’re here to help you have a safe and enjoyable time at the fair.

The county fair is supposed to be about fun, community and maybe winning a giant stuffed animal you’ll regret having to carry. With a little preparation, you can make sure your fair memories are about the rides, the games and the fried Oreos, not the EMT who had to bandage you up.

The county fair is a ton of fun and we love being a part of it, so next year come say hello to us at our booth, swap some SAR stories and enjoy the fair safely. We’d love to see you, just hopefully not surfing up the midway on our stretcher.