Brian Buckingham, vice-president of the Deschutes Fair Association and the man in charge of safety and security, says he likes to exceed expectations.

”Every year we are growing in the new fairgrounds, building on what has happened the previous year, looking at opportunities to improve situations,” he said. ”I’ve worked hard with Redmond police, the fire department and the county to get what we call ‘continuous quality improvement.’”

Children will still get lost and there will still be times when it’s a little slow getting in and out of the fairgrounds. But fair visitors can be assured that everything is being done to make the experience as smooth as possible.

The opening of 19th Street offers one more entrance for fairgoers.

Parking attendants are better trained, and this year – in readiness for the Family Motor Coach Association’s national convention – there are 80 acres of new parking, so if crowds get bad, parking bosses will know how to even things out.

Buckingham said that with all the practice runs and experience moving people in and out of the fairgrounds for graduations and conventions this year, he doesn’t anticipate problems.

Also, 4-H and FFA families have their own parking and entry to the grounds with better signage.

In the Expo Center, there are police, fire and first aid offices. The first aid station has emergency supplies for minor medical needs such as cuts, falls, sunburn and heat exhaustion.

A gator, a heavy golf cart staffed with paramedics, roams the grounds with constant phone contact, to be at the scene of any emergency within minutes. An ambulance stands by at the Juniper Outdoor Arena near the rodeo.

On ground security staff and police will be all around the fairgrounds, ready to act if children are lost or there are safety incidents (such as fights.)

”If a child is reported lost, that becomes our number one priority, no matter what,” said Buckingham. The parent or guardian should be ready with a good description of what the child is wearing, height and size. Children who are found are taken to the first aid and police offices, and kept there until an authorized person (with ID) picks them up.

If you lose sight of a child try not to panic. Immediately seek out a security or police officer and go to the fair office at the Three Sisters Conference Center.

Buckingham is also in charge of night security and contracts with volunteers to patrol the barns, for the security and well-being of livestock. Redmond High School juniors have contracts for clean-up after the concert and indoor events.