How the Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo keeps Central Texas residents safe on rides

The Heart O' Texas Fair and Rodeo has finally begun, and as always, the rides are the main attraction, but officials and fair staff are making sure safety is a big part of the fun.

Officials say this process begins months before the fair opens.

“They're going to lay out the site, we're going to talk about where the cables go – where we need to cover things and all that kind of stuff,” said Wes Allison, president and CEO of Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo.

“AMP” is the fair’s carnival provider – a group that works hard to ensure the safety of riders.

“They use inspectors that they have on staff as well as state inspectors that come in and inspect every ride,” Allison said.

But the protective measures don’t stop there –

“Once they're done, they'll inspect every night, post that we're closing the gates, and again before we open, and then they'll do another inspection with their inspection staff going through it,” Allison said.

The fair has its own protocols in place to ensure workers and volunteers stay on top of things.

“I guess a bit of a secret shopper, if you want to call it that – we use some of our volunteers to drive around when we suspect there's a problem and try to bait the ride operator,” Allison said.

It's things like barriers that help protect Central Texas residents from open gaps and spaces, and signs reminding guests of safety protocols for certain rides.

These protocols are all designed to keep the Central Texas community safe

“There’s no reason to worry about safety issues out here,” Allison said.

The carnival portion of the fair is cashless, but all games and rides can be played with “Magic Money” – more information about the fair and carnival can be found here.

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