{"id":192,"date":"2025-08-16T20:13:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T20:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/talesofmanythings.com\/blog\/?p=192"},"modified":"2025-08-16T20:13:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T20:13:14","slug":"the-county-fair-where-fun-meets-first-aid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talesofmanythings.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/16\/the-county-fair-where-fun-meets-first-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"The County Fair: Where Fun Meets First Aid"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s a nice change of pace. We\u2019re 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\u2019s not true search and rescue, but it\u2019s a great way to meet the community and do a little recruiting.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Back in the day, the fair was all about the kids. We\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But over the years, something has changed. Lost children are still a part of the job, but they\u2019ve been eclipsed by something far more common: medical emergencies. Our fair draws over twenty thousand people a day and it seems they\u2019ve become increasingly creative in finding ways to get into trouble. Now, we\u2019re 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 \u201cprivate moment\u201d in the Ferris wheel gondola.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And this year\u2019s medical was relatively tame. We\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n

How to Stay Safe and Out of Our Tent<\/strong><\/p>\n

While we\u2019re happy to help, we\u2019d much rather see you enjoy the fair without visiting our tent. To help you avoid becoming one of our \u201cpatients\u201d, we\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n