OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – During the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture, the grounds become a city all its own.
With over 40,000 campers onsite, directors say it temporarily becomes the second largest city in Winnebago County.
Because of that, public safety is a major concern
Safety and security here in this make-shift town go hand-in-hand.
The safety side of things can be anything from making sure that potholes are filled-in, to having transportation routes that keep pedestrians and vehicles away from one another.
Designated medical services facilities with volunteer nurses and doctors are even on-site and care for hundreds of visitors.
Raymond King is one of them.
“We have a lot of people with blisters [and] other years, we had a lot of people with head injuries.
He tells FOX 11 how the drill works.
“We have, what we call, a cold room where we can rehydrate people and cool them down.”
Visitors can also stop by clinics for common medical necessities, like aspirin or cough drops.
To help with the security aspect, EAA director of communications Dick Knapinski tells FOX 11 they work with local, state and federal officials for various tasks.
“Things that you see, such as bag checks, coming in the main gate and so forth, and things that you don’t see. We have plain-clothes officers out here, we have others out there that keep track of those things.”
There’s EAA Security and Camp Schoeller Security.
Knapinski says security operates 24 hours a day during AirVenture, so dispatch can be called at any time for just about any reason.
“Everything in the campground from barking dogs, to overflowing port-a-pottys, to people maybe driving too fast, to disputes over a campsite…those type of things.”
The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department is also stationed on grounds, and emergency medical services are available, as well.
At this large event, the EAA says safety and security is always a top priority.
