Officials Conduct Disaster Drill At Fairgrounds Tuesday

Putnam County’s emergency services will do a little practice at the county fairgrounds Tuesday.

Putnam County Emergency Management Director Tyler Smith said they’ll conduct a full-scale tornado drill. Volunteer actors will simulate injured, EMTs, paramedics and firefighters will practice their skills.

“That’s one of our biggest threats during the fair is severe weather and simulating a tornado hitting thousands of people there is going to test our communications skills and response to effectively respond to that scene,” Smith said.

Smith said crews will even simulate a grandstand collapse.

The fair board and personnel are also participating in the drill, Smith said.

The drill will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and continue for two hours.

“We’ve had some at the fair but none to this magnitude, we’ve had some tabletop drills and stuff like that but as far as the full-scale, I think this is the first one we’ve done as far as a full-scale exercise,” Smith said.

The fair doesn’t open to the public until Thursday, August 3.