BILLINGS — As MontanaFair draws thousands of visitors each day for rides and fun, the carnival crew behind the attractions works tirelessly to ensure the experience is both safe and thrilling.
Watch how MontanaFair inspects the rides for safety each day:
For Rebecca McPherson and her two daughters, Hailey and Maddison, a day at the fair is all about making memories, but one concern stays top of mind.
“Well, my child's safety, making sure that the rides are really safe. If there's seat belts, if the bars latch properly—you don't want any accidents at the fair, that wouldn't be good," said McPherson. "We just kinda stick with the smaller rides, but we haven't had any issues or concerns.”
The trust put into the fair is not taken lightly by the more than 100 employees who travel with Thomas Carnival, the company behind MontanaFair's rides. Each day before any gates open, all of the rides undergo thorough safety inspections.
"We see small things and we stay on top of those small things, so major problems are pretty rare,” said Brandon Petree, co-owner of Thomas Carnival.
Inspections begin before crews even arrive and are done on the road when the rides are on the trailers. At the same time, each ride is also inspected by a third-party and is kept in compliance with state safety regulations.
"It's just nice to have different sets of eyes from different inspectors at different times to ensure ride safety," said Petree. "The patrons' safety is our primary concern."
Some of the older rides are over 60 years old, while some of the newer attractions are only a few years old. As a result, differences in technology can sometimes make inspections more difficult and time-consuming. Crews look for everything, such as common technical issues, from worn brake pads, loose bolts, and worn power cords. They even pay attention to weather conditions and rider limitations, such as height and signs of intoxication.
“All of the riders are trained specifically on their ride, and all of our guys are highly skilled and have been on multiple rides, and we all know what to look for," said Petree “Any time you come to a place like this, I mean, we have an amazing support group here, and we have emergency services, we have everything within our reach, so if anything minor happens, we're ready to deal with that.”
The carnival operators are also trained in emergency readiness and hold frequent safety meetings and evacuation procedures.
“There is a plan. You never know exactly what's going to happen, but there is a plan," said ride operator Kim Sankowsky.
Sankowsky and her family operate some of the fair's biggest attractions, such as the Speed and Slingshot. For them, being prepared is crucial for business and makes all the difference.
Related: Life of a carnival worker: Family started travel when son was 2
"All of the rides have the procedures to get people down without power, and that's our biggest thing, is if we lose a generator, how will we get people down safely?” said Sankowsky.
Some repairs and spare parts can be expensive, and some have to be shipped from overseas and can cost thousands of dollars. However, Sankowsky said that in their 27 years on the road, she has never seen a major accident, and that is how she wants to keep it.
"We never want to be, for lack of better words, broken down or not able to run because we came all this way. We want you guys to enjoy the fair," said Sankowsky. “We do our best at inspecting. We put our kids on them. We trust them, so we're putting our own kids out here.”
Petree and Sankowsky encourage all fairgoers to find rides that are within their comfort level.
"There's plenty of rides for anyone and everyone that comes out here, so just look around, be comfortable, and decide what you do and don't want to ride,” said Petree.
Because when there is peace of mind, there is more room for those like the McPhersons to focus on what they came for.
“I think we just have a lot of fun," said McPherson. "It's just getting out and enjoying the fresh air and the fun and being part of the community.”
