Press Release

For Immediate Release: June 5, 2021

Re: LPFD Fair Incident

On June 4, 2021, members of the LPFD were notified by customers of the fair that an incident had occurred with a ride supplied by our fair vendor Tons of Fun Shows, resulting in injuries to community members. Immediately fire department personnel and the President of the fire department headed over to assess the situation. During this time, the on-duty EMS units and Police Units were alerted. An advanced EMT, a paramedic, and police officers responded over to assess and triage the situation to determine the extend of any injuries and if additional resources were needed.

The President of the fire department met with the management of Tons of Fun Shows as well as the certified inspectors and determined the result to be fencing issues and no mechanical issues with the actual ride. The company’s inspector determined there were no issues with the mechanicals of the ride. Corrections were made to the safety barriers and determined the ride was safe to operate and re-open.

There were injuries reported with this event. Lower Providence EMS conducted a rapid triage of the scene and completed three detailed assessments resulting in two refusals of transport with verification of a medical command physician at a local hospital. A third patient left before the evaluation was completed.

The Fire Department Management Team conducted an internal investigation and reviewed safety inspection reports to confirm that safety inspections were conducted on the LPFD Fair Rides on June 3, 2021. These reports were submitted to the PA Dept. of Agriculture Division of Amusement Rides & Attractions and will continue to be inspected under State guidelines. The investigation also reviewed numerous community complaints, examined social media posts and concerns, and spoke with EMS and Police representatives.

The Lower Providence Fire Department takes the community’s safety seriously; LPFD members are not certified to inspect or determine amusement ride safety. It was identified there was a need for professional inspections due to this event. The management team contacted the PA Dept. of Agriculture Division of Amusement Rides & Attractions to have an inspector come out and review the fair. We are cooperating fully and assisting them with their investigation wherever we can and will work diligently to continue to keep the safety of this community as our primary mission.

The LPFD has been conducting an annual fair for 74 years as a means of funding a substantial portion of the operating budget required to provide public safety services to this community. While there have been minor issues addressed in the past, we want to assure the community we will do whatever it takes to continue providing a safe and inviting atmosphere for this community.

We sincerely apologize to the individuals, family members, and community members that have been negatively impacted both physically and emotionally because of this situation.

Please contact the Lower Providence Fire Department President at [email protected] for any additional information or correspondence.

Lower Providence Fire Department Board of Trustees