SUN
‘n FUN Evaluates Safety Protocol before Annual Fly-In
(March 9, 2017 Lakeland,
FL) Thursday morning brought Lakeland’s finest to the SUN n FUN Expo Campus for
their annual Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan meeting ahead of the 43rd
annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo, which will be held April
4-9, 2017.
Representatives from all
of Polk County’s emergency response teams attended the meeting, which included
an hour long mock drill. Jeff Wharton of the Lakeland Fire Department and Rick
Savage, representing Life Net 5, led the course and drill. All SUN ‘n FUN staff
members were required to attend the meeting and drill, and the 30-plus
participants followed a carefully prepared procedure that has been developed in
case of emergency during the fly-in.
The drill included a
site-wide power outage and simultaneously a patron who was involved in a hit
and run. The drill included Life Net 5 landing a helicopter on the campus to
retrieve an injured spectator, Lakeland Fire Department fire trucks, and
Lakeland Police Officers responding to the emergency in real time.
SUN ‘n FUN has always been
dedicated to the safety of every person who enters of their campus and strives
to improve safety regulations every year. John “Lites” Leenhouts, President and
CEO of SUN ‘n FUN, knows how important safety protocols are and makes sure his
staff is prepared for any emergency on the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus.
“Safety doesn’t happen by
accident,” Leenhouts stated. “It’s the result of trained professionals acting
with good judgement and procedures that govern good operations in the air and
on the ground. Professionals don’t make mistakes.”
The staff working during
the SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo utilizes many different
techniques to reach the public in the event of an emergency. Patrons are
encouraged to sign up for text message alerts, which will alert them to an
emergency on the campus. They can also utilize social media to see updates on
events in the area. New to the event this year, the campus will have jumbotrons
on the airfield to prepare fans for weather alerts and emergency situations.
The event will also include a siren on the campus for the first time. The siren
will blare when there is a severe weather alert, warning people to move to an
inside location on the campus.
Jeff Wharton believes
drills are a great way to prepare for an emergency.
“Safety is the main goal
for SUN ‘n FUN” Wharton said. “We want everyone to have a good time, but be
aware of their surroundings. There are things during the fly-in that are not
normal to an everyday theme park like airplanes, golf carts, four wheelers,
etc.”
The SUN ‘n FUN
International Fly-In & Expo is prepared for an action-packed show, which
will include performances by the US Navy Blue Angels and the world’s largest
gathering of P-51 Mustangs in close to a decade. Air show and workshop schedules,
camping reservations, registration for activities, and ticketing information
can be found on the SUN ‘n FUN website at flysnf.org. As always,
safety will be a top priority.
For more
information on SUN ‘n FUN safety, please contact our office at 863-644-2431.
###
SUN
‘n FUN is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, located on the grounds of the
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, FL. Proceeds from all year-round
events are returned to aviation-based STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math) programs, activities and facilities, and used to support on-going
scholarship funding
Jackie Jenkins
Communications Coordinator
Visit us online for a year full of events
& mark your calendar for the 43rd Annual
SUN ’n FUN International Fly-In & Expo
April 4-9 | 2017
Labels: aircraft, aircraft insurance, aircraft ownership, aviation insurance, aviation market, aviation week, Cessna, EAA, FAA, Mustang, P-51 Mustang, Piper, Stallion 51, sun and fun, sun n fun, Zenith Aircraft