July 24, 2004

Fair volunteers initiated

       Two firefighters fought storms instead of flames during their first year as Johnson County fair board members.  Jim Engmark and Tracy Rumble come from the same profession.  But different backgrounds led them to join the board.  Engmark, a White River Township firefighter, has been involved with the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair since childhood. He joined the board to continue supporting the fair.  Rumble, a Greenwood firefighter, grew up in the city. He got involved with the fair to learn more about agriculture and farm life.  The pair said they’ve encountered predictable and unexpected challenges in their new positions.  They anticipated a new entrance to the fairgrounds causing commotion with longtime fairgoers.  They didn’t expect the need for damage control after Tuesday night’s storm. A row of bleachers tipped onto a parked car, signs blew off their posts and arenas flooded with up to 2 feet of water.  They also didn’t anticipate the person in charge of garbage collection at the fairgrounds getting called to active duty in Iraq.  Rumble, Engmark and other fair board members have helped with trash collection instead.  “It’s a lot of hard work,” Engmark said. “Not many people would want my job.”

        Rumble makes sure fairgoers get their elephant ears and funnel cakes and don’t collapse from heat stroke in the process.  In charge of concession stands and safety, Rumble assigns spots to food vendors on the fairgrounds and organizes safety patrols.  “It was a whole lot more involved than I thought,” he said of the fair. “It’s not just a weeklong thing.”  Concession vendors started calling in October to reserve spots at the fair. This week, people are already requesting space for their stands at next year’s fair.  “You can’t make everyone happy,” he said. “You make one person happy, another person gets upset. Everyone wants their concession stand to make money.”  He has spent 18-hour days working at the fair.  During his long shifts, Rumble said he makes time for his wife, too. She often visits him in the evenings.  To encourage safety, Rumble organized groups of volunteers from fire departments to keep watch for fairgoers who might be sick or need help.  “We have a cart that drives around and patrols the area,” Rumble said, standing in the midst of fair concession stands as the golf cart rolls past.  “See, there it is,” he says. “Perfect timing.”

       Engmark’s job is to make sure people drive in and out of the fair safely. He watches parking lots to make sure cars aren’t boxed in, monitors roped-off boundaries and supervises on-site traffic directors and gate workers.  A new entrance and exit area on West Jefferson Street meant Engmark made some changes to how drivers navigate the fairgrounds. “It’s a new entrance, new setup,” Engmark said. “We’re doing the best we can to get the worms worked out.”  Some fairgoers are resistant to change, Engmark said. But the new driving set-up is helpful, he said. Engmark and his team closed a road on the south side of the fairgrounds near the livestock barn, making it safer for children at the barn, he said. As a result, 4-H’ers set up a basketball goal to shoot hoops when they’re not working on fair projects.  Keeping people safe is why Engmark wanted to work on the fair board. “These 4-H kids do a lot of hard work, and I like being able to help them out,” he said. (This article and photo reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)
      

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