Exercising to Keep the Kansas State Fair Safe
Phil Kirk, Regional Director
On July 11, The Cybersecurity Infrastructure & Security Agency (CISA) Region 7 team coordinated a morning active threat and an afternoon cyber threat pair of tabletop exercises for the Kansas State Fair (KSF) which takes place in Hutchinson, Kan., September 6-15, 2024. Both exercises had more than 100 participants, which included the KSF executive team, local and national operations, law enforcement and emergency service partners as well as members of the City of Hutchinson, Reno County, Kansas Attorney General’s Office, Kansas State University, Kansas Department of Agriculture, First National Bank of Hutchinson and the Hutchinson Mayor’s Office.
Exercises like this are vital for ensuring that everyone involved in the safety and security of our community can work together seamlessly in the event of an actual incident.
“The tabletop exercise presented by CISA Region 7 emphasized critical infrastructure protection and emergency response coordination for emergency partners from across Reno County, Kan., and beyond,” said Bryan Schulz, general manager of the Kansas State Fair. “These exercises highlighted the importance of collaboration and preparedness in ensuring community resilience and safety. The Kansas State Fair board and staff are so happy with the outcome of these tabletops as it was a GREAT learning experience.”
Not only did our team help the KSF team and local partners practice their emergency response protocols to active threats and cyber threats, this day of exercises also provided a learning opportunity for groups from outside our region.
The exercise was observed by groups outside of Hutchinson, Kan., who were given the opportunity to learn about potential security situations they may face in their own festivals and events. These groups included: the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo; International Association of Fairs and Expos; Eastern States Expo (The Big E), located in Springfield, Mass.; Lindsborg Convention & Visitors Bureau, located in Lindsborg, Kan.; and the Nebraska State Fair.
The exercises were facilitated by exercise specialists here on my staff, including Jennifer Regn, regional training and exercise coordinator and Marc Vasquez, cyber regional training and exercise specialist. Kansas Protective Security Advisors Tim Morgan and Chuck Clanahan, Cybersecurity Advisor John Bryant and CISA Exercises Operations Research Analyst Natasha Diessner also stepped up to support the exercises.
To learn more about CISA Exercises and the support you can get from your local CISA advisors visit our website at Home Page | CISA.