Hungry fairgoers at the Rotary Club of Amherst’s annual community fair this week have no doubt noticed the absence of the club’s popular food tent, where members have joyfully cooked up hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries for years. The food is still available, though it’s now being served out of four food trucks.
While frustrating for some, the changes are meant to keep people safe. Like other short-term community fairs throughout the region, including the Taste of Amherst last year and the Franklin County Fair this September, organizers are being forced to comply with state fire code changes that went into effect Jan. 1, 2015.
The new rules state that tents are structures, and any use of fryolators require appropriate fire-suppression systems and hoods to handle the hot grease created when cooking.
The regulations, which have actually been part of the state fire code for more than a decade, are being enforced now because the state adopted the National Fire Prevention Association codes. Those national standards removed the flexibility that most local fire chiefs operated under for years when it comes to enforcement at events in their communities.
The changes will be pricey for vendors who set up at fairs, but safety must trump expenses, which is why fire chiefs are making the right call here.
Over the past year in stories in the Gazette and in our sister paper, the Greenfield Recorder, vendors and event leaders wondered what all the fuss is about. “There’s never been a fire or serious problem as long as I’ve been here,” said one.
This may be true, but it would be foolish to say never. It’s true that government can’t guard against every risk, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t try. Fryolators are a potential accident waiting to happen. Imagine if someone got burned or, more serious, the hot oil ignited a fire that caused injuries or death.
The chiefs aren’t to blame. These are good changes that event organizers should embrace, despite their inconvenience and expense for vendors. Some, like the Rotary Club of Amherst, will bring in professional help. Others, like the Taste of Amherst, will consolidate into one place where all fryolator cooking is done. Others may decide the extra expense is worth it over the long haul. And, yes, some vendors will opt out.
In the end, though, the fun will go on — and so will the food.