PUBLIC SAFETY: Owing to the well publicized disasters in public places
over the past decade, the Maryland
State Fair management takes visitor safety very seriously; so seriously,
in fact, that the current safety officer is a
retired Maryland Fire Marshall. Fire and the forces of nature are the
primary concern, and where thousands of
people occupy an enclosed space, "crowd control" is the essential
mechanism for protecting people from injury,
or worse. We WANT to exceed the requirements of show operators, and set
a good example of high regard for
public safety.Show Vendors have a special role to play, both to
protect themselves and staff, and nearby members of the
public. Here are some practical steps you can take:
- Observe the location of exits, marked
by exit signs above them. If you see anything blocking an exit or
impeding reasonably speedy egress in the immediate area, bring it to
our attention.
- In the event of an evacuation, an
announcement will be made over the public address system, directing
people to appropriate exit points. Provided that you, yourself, are in
no immediate danger, you may assist by
opening the doors if they are nearby, and pointing the way.
- Otherwise note the location and operation
of roll up loading doors. These are not "exits" within the meaning
of the fire code, but they certainly are a way to evacuate many people
quickly, should the need arise. Our
table layout diagram will be conformed so that some loading doors are
partially accessible, allowing a
similar path of egress as would a regular exit.
- Consider taking the brief, online, crowd
management course offered by the Maryland State Fire Marshall's
office (http://www.firemarshal.state.md.us/crowdmanager). It is
fundamentally an exercise in "common
sense," but if many vendors take the course, then we'll all be on the
"same page" if we need to act in a
coordinated effort. There is an optional test and certificate of
completion, should you wish to avail yourself
of these. If so, please bring a copy of your certificate with you, which
we will include in our compliance
documentation.
In over 3 decades of shows, we've never had an incident. However,
being prepared not only gives us an edge if
something does occur, but also allows us to enjoy the shows more,
knowing that we're ready to respond.
SITE SECURITY: The show premises is locked after closing, and
continuously occupied by a security officer
who regularly patrols the entire premises and unlocks the building in
the morning about 30 minutes before
vendors may enter. During the show, Fair Officials may inspect the show
for compliance, or otherwise in
response to our call for assistance (very rare). Although the mysterious
disappearance of merchandise is so rare
as to be virtually non- existent, vendors may prefer to remove items of
exceptional or concentrated value after
the Saturday show closes for the day. We recommend that you do whatever
best serves your own comfort level.
INSURANCE: Vendors who are selling their own personal property (not
in the business of selling) may
generally expect an insurance recovery under their homeowner's or
tenant's policy for loss or damage to their
personal property, subject to deductibles or other policy conditions. If
you are a business, consider coverage of
property while away from your business, and coverage for public
liability.
Need to talk? Contact us. By phone to 410-551-6131, or by
email to
jsgeare@gsmts.com.
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