Before a single ride at the Great Darke County Fair could spin, flip, coast or glide on opening day Friday, Mike Vartorella’s team had to declare it safe.
Vartorella is chief ride inspector for the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which inspects roughly 3,700 rides and more than 600 games every year to make sure they meet safety standards.
“These have all been initially inspected for the state. We’re going to do a supplemental inspection, make sure they’re up to manufacturer’s specifications and open them up to the public,” he said as one of his three on-site inspectors tugged on shoulder restraints on a scrambler-type ride.
Ride safety was foremost on the mind of parents interviewed at the fair, especially in light of recent tragedies such as a 10-year-old boy being killed on a slide at a Kansas water park, a 3-year-old hospitalized after an accident on a wooden rollercoaster in Pennsylvania, and several girls being injured in Tennessee after a Ferris wheel gondola flipped and dumped them 30 to 45 feet.
“It is a concern, obviously, especially for my youngest son, but I know they are inspected and I guess you trust the workers will do their job,” said Beth Guggenbiller, who was at the fair with her 7-year-old son and two older children.
The roughly two dozen rides at the Darke County Fair are provided by the Cincinnati company Kissel Brothers. Company proprietor Carmi Kissel said she has eight men who inspect every ride every day and won’t open them unless they meet manufacturer specifications.
She said Ohio is one of the most thorough in enforcing ride safety — Pennsylvania, not so much, she said — and the whole industry is closely watching to see what was behind the recent tragedies.
“We pay attention to it,” she said. “We want to know.”
As inspections pushed back the rides’ opening for an hour or so, families strolled the midway lured by game barkers and snacking on funnel cakes.
“The kids are frustrated because the rides haven’t started,” said Cassandra Hartzell, flanked by her 2- and 11-year-old children and 10-year-old niece. “I’m glad (about the delay) in a way, because they’re here working to make sure (the rides) are safe and secure.”
The Great Darke County Fair — one of the region's largest — runs Friday through Aug. 27.
The Montgomery County Fair runs Aug. 31 through Sept. 5.
About the Author
