This year’s 90th San Benito County Fair was a big success, in terms of police and medical activity at least. Keeping guests to the fair safe this year were scores of volunteers as well as personnel from San Benito County Sheriff’s Office (SBC SO), Hollister Police Department (HPD), Hollister Fire Department (HFD), SBC Probation Service, CHP and AMR. Some dispatchers from our 9-1-1 service came over from Santa Cruz, also.
Many different agencies were represented among the volunteers as well.
About two dozen SBC SO Explorers helped with parking duties; Boy Scouts from Troop #445 joined them.
The SO Search and Rescue (SAR) group patrolled the complete fairgrounds on quads, four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles. They kept a look out for guests in need, under aged drinking and other unsafe activities.
Helping keep all of these volunteers connected and communicating efficiently were members of the SBC Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) and SBC Office of Emergency Service Auxiliary Communication Service (OES ACS). The radio operators set up a radio repeater, instructed volunteers in the use of hand-held radios, and keep all of the equipment running despite several power outages on Friday night.
The SBC SO had a bigger presence at the fair this year. Their small booth inside the Pavilion a couple years back has grown into a large green and white tent on the lawn by the fair office building. They displayed the vehicles they use in the course of their duties—SUVs, cruisers, jeeps, quads, and motor bikes. Children enjoyed answering questions on when and when not to call 9-1-1, what to take when they went for a hike, and other safety tips. Handouts included whistles with a compass and light built in from the SO SAR team. Fair goers even took pictures with Officer McGruff, the Crime Dog and in a prisoner transport van.
One incident occurred Friday night was when a parent came to the SBC SO tent reporting that his son was missing. The “at risk” thirteen-year old apparently wondered off while he and his family were looking at art displays. SAR immediately locked down the exit gates and initiated a search for the boy. SAR personnel found the boy within ten minutes looking at the 4H pigs.
On Sunday when the weather turned hot, medics handled many cases of dehydration. Later in the day, a Midway employee suffered a seizure. HFD and AMR quickly helped the man and transported him by ambulance to a local hospital.
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