090511 Keeping kids safe at the fair

  • By Sharon Haught
  • August 29, 2011
  • 245
                        
Summary: While having fun at the fair may be a child’s primary goal, parents can do a great deal to keep children safe at the fair at the same time with a little pre-planning. For parents attending the fair with their children a little pre-planning can go a long way towards making the fair a safe and enjoyable experience. According to Captain Charles Hardman of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, before attending the fair families should work out a plan for what each family member will do if they are intentionally or inadvertently separated. For older children that may mean establishing a buddy system and coming up with a pre-designated place and time to meet. According to Hardman one of the most important things the parent of an older child can do to keep their child safe at the fair is to make sure the child isn’t at the fair alone. Hardman suggest that parents have a conversation with their older children emphasizing “when you go to the fair have a partner - whether that be your girlfriend, your boyfriend or you best friend – and stay together.” Keeping younger children safe at the fair starts with an innovative joint venture between the Sheriff’s Office, Wayne County Children Services, the Wayne County Children’s Advocacy Center, the Wayne County Fair Board, Smith Dairy and Caring Therapy Canines known as Tot Stop. Hardman encourages the parents of young children to make the Tot Stop Tag Station located in Kiddie Land their first stop as they begin their day at the fair. According to Hardman when parents come to Tot Stop they can register their children and provide one of the nearly 100 volunteers that man the tag station with basic emergency contact information that can be used in the event they become separated from their children. Information such as the child’s name, age, weight, height and hair color are recorded along with the name, home phone number and cell phone number of the adult with whom the child is attending the fair. Each child is then given a tag to wear on the back of their shirt with a unique number corresponding to their registration information which can be used by law enforcement personnel to quickly re-unite parent and child. Because Tot Stop personnel delete the child’s information at the end of each day, parents will need to re-register their child each day they attend the fair. Hardman also suggests that parents talk to their children before their trip to the fair so the child knows what to do in the event they become separated. According to Hardman it’s important that children be able to recognize what a police officer or Sheriff’s deputy looks like and to seek out these law enforcement personnel for help. According to Hardman uniformed Sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement will have a large and visible presence throughout the fairgrounds including all of the gates in and out of the facility. Hardman also recommends that parents tell their children to look for the giant ten foot tall inflatable yellow Smith Dairy milk jug that marks the entrance to Top Stop should they become separated. Children should be instructed that this is also a safe place to go if they are lost. According to Hardman when a lost child comes to the Tot Stop volunteers will immediately gather the necessary information about the child and contact the Sheriff’s command center near the grandstands by radio for assistance. Dogs from the Caring Therapy Canines Group will be on hand to help calm the child as they wait to be re-united with their parents. As soon as a parent realizes that they have become separated from their child it is critical that parents alert law enforcement officials immediately by informing uniformed officers patrolling the fairgrounds or officers stationed at each gate and the command center near the grandstands. Hardman noted in order to reunite parent and child quickly it’s important that parents note what their child is wearing that day. This is particularly true if a parent brings along a neighbor child or family friend to the fair. Bringing along a photograph of the child is also helpful. According to Hardman once the Sheriff’s Office receives word of a missing child, a radio call immediately goes out to all the officers throughout the fairgrounds so the child cannot leave the grounds. An announcement is also made over the PA system alerting fairgoers that a child is missing. This time for the first year the Sheriff’s Office will also use social media including Twitter and Facebook to alert the public that a child has been reported missing. Parents can join the over 10,000 people who currently follow the “Wayne County Sheriff” on Facebook and receive Facebook alerts posted by the department. Fairgoers who have a Twitter account can also follow the department by typing in “WayneSheriff” and receive text message alerts. According to Hardman, those who don’t wish to open a Twitter account can text the words “Follow WayneSheriff” to 40404 from their cell phones to receive the alerts. If they choose to stop receiving text alerts from the department after the fair, the alerts can easily be stopped by sending the words “Unfollow WayneSheriff” to the same number.


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