Missouri State Fair officials confident strong security and safety at event

Missouri State Fair Director, Mark Wolfe, said his team of people work year-round to prepare for the fair each year.

“The process to put the fair together is yearlong,” Wolfe said. He said they are preparing now for 2019’s fair.

Wolfe said they expect to see 350,000 people over the course of the 11-day fair, and he is confident they are prepared.

They work closely with the state, carnival operators, and independent inspectors regarding ride and event safety and security.

Wolfe said conceal and carry will not be allowed on the fair grounds.

They will not be actively checking bags at entry, but he said they have the right to check them.

“We don’t go through metal detectors, we don’t have any of that equipment. We catch people all the time and they’re not causing any problem,” Wolfe said.

Highway patrol will be on the lookout and stopping people if they do see any guns on the grounds.

Wolfe also said they are well staffed and prepared to handle any heat exhaustion issues.

“We also have golf carts so they can go pick people up. They’ll send a small army, they’ll treat them here on-site, get them cooled down and based on their condition they will decide whether to transport them to the hospital,” Wolfe said.