Real-time Monitoring of Crowded Fairgrounds

Enhanced Safety with Real-Time Monitoring at the Tennessee Valley Fair

The Tennessee Valley Fair has been held annually at Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center in Knoxville, TN since 1916, drawing in a substantial crowd of visitors eager to partake in the festivities. According to sources on WBIR, on a given Saturday up to 25,000 people may enter the fairgrounds. The Knoxville Police Department (KPD) is tasked with ensuring the safety and security of the large number of attendees who visit the fair each year. Due to the spread-out layout, an aerial view of the fairgrounds is advantageous for real-time monitoring.

According to Lt. Wilson, “Having the ability to observe the unfolding events in real-time is crucial to our safety planning and in knowing we are doing the best we can to keep events like this safe.”

From September 8th to 17th, 2023, KPD officers utilized their Hitch-Mounted RATT and cloud-connected RQ610 5-sensor 360° camera on a KPD Dodge Durango’s 2×2” hitch receiver. The RATT acted as an eye-in-the-sky, covering the Tennessee Valley Fair both locally and remotely. This one-person deployment over the 10-day event allowed KPD to quickly monitor a larger area of the fairgrounds, enhancing their ability to respond promptly to any security concerns that may arise.

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