Disaster Response, Preparedness & Safety

GENERAL RULES

Southern Plains Extension Unit County Fairs

ALL DEADLINES WILL BE ENFORCED.

      The shows and events of the Nuckolls & Thayer County Fairs will be under the direction of the designated Extension staff and superintendents. The Extension staff and superintendents will make all on-the-spot decisions necessary for the operation of the shows. In case of a complaint or a disagreement with the show, the exhibitor should discuss it with the Extension staff and the superintendent within one hour after the show.  If an agreement cannot be reached, then the exhibitor and/or the Extension staff and superintendent should request a grievance committee meeting. Grievance must be submitted in writing. The grievance committee will consist of two 4‑H Council members, two Fairboard members and one neutral superintendent. The decision reached by this committee is final. 

Rules: 

1. Eligibility Requirements- Competition in the county 4‑H Fair is open to youth who are enrolled in Nuckolls or Thayer County 4‑H projects in which he/she is exhibiting. The youth must be 8 years old on January 1 of the current calendar year and under the age of 19 years of age on January 1 of the current calendar year. CloverKid members are 5-7 years old on January 1 of the current calendar year.

2.  Pre-Entry- Pre-entries are required for ALL fair exhibits.

PRE-ENTRY DEADLINES:

Nuckolls – Paper Entries Only – July 11^th - 4:00 PM

Thayer – Online Entries Only- July 17^{th –} Midnight 

        Absolutely NO late entries accepted!

*Subject to the 4‑H Council policy committee.

3. Number of Entries Allowed.

    Nuckolls County ONLY- Unlimited entries per class numbermay be made per exhibitor with the exception of a limit of two entries per class in Horticulture. 

    Thayer County ONLY- Limit of two entries per class.

    See General Animal Rules for livestock entries.

4. Entry Tags- Exhibits other than livestock contest must have entry tags attached to the exhibit at the time of entry. Tags are printed through your local Extension office.

5. Exhibits Released-See fair schedule. All fair exhibits are expected to be at the fair during scheduled times. Premium and support/booster payments will be forfeited for early removal of show animals with the exception of animals released for the animal’s welfare by written approval from a veterinarian or for legitimate reason with written approval from the species’ superintendent and a representative of the 4‑H council livestock committee. In case of emergencies, contact the office staff. The Extension staff is not responsible for items left at the fairgrounds after scheduled times.

6. Exhibit Space- Space will be assigned by the department superintendent(s). All possible care will be used to prevent loss or injury to articles or animals exhibited, but fair management will in no way be responsible should loss or injury occur. 

7. Disclaimer of Responsibility- All persons participating in the Thayer or Nuckolls County Fairs, either as exhibitors or as spectators, agree to make no claim against said Thayer or Nuckolls County Fair Association/Board, its officers, employees, volunteers, or any other exhibitors for any loss or damage to persons or property in connection with the activities of the Thayer or Nuckolls County Fair and said participants agree to hold said Association and persons harmless from any such claims. Individuals will be held personally responsible for his or her actions and the Fair Association will not be accountable or responsible for any injury. Exhibitors are responsible for the health of their animals.

8. Ribbons & Premiums Awarded- All exhibits will be divided into groups according to merit. 

Purple…………… Excellent             Blue……………………...…Good

Red……………….Fair                     White………Needs Improvement          Rainbow……..Non-Competition

Equal exhibits will be given ribbons of the same color in each class. Only worthy exhibits will be awarded ribbons and/or premium money. Trophies/banners/medals will only be awarded to purple & blue-ribbon exhibits. NO red or white ribbon entries will earn trophies. Unused trophies will be recycled.  In case there are insufficient funds to pay premiums in full, they will be prorated and paid accordingly. 

9. State Fair Eligibility-An exhibitor must be a 4‑H member enrolled in the county which she/he represents and must be 8 years old by January 1, with the exception of program specific age requirements for Shooting Sports and First Lego League. 

10. State Fair Exhibits- The Extension staff deliver many exhibits to the State Fair as a courtesy to exhibitors. However, exhibitors may be asked to arrange transportation of some articles that are large or heavy.

11.  State Fair Rules will apply when County Fair Rules are not adequate.  In case the general rules conflict with department rules, the department rules govern.                      

12. Interview Judging- Clothing Judging- See interview information involving Clothing and Fashion included with the Clothing & Fashion show rules. Static Exhibit-Interview judging is encouraged but not required for all other static exhibits. 4‑Hers can interview once per project for a total of 5 interviews. Sign up for interview judging will occur at exhibit check in, in each of the project areas. Interviews will be scheduled according to the project and class. If the 4‑Her can’t make a certain time, we will try to work with them, but we cannot guarantee that they will get to interview with all the projects they want.   

13. Exhibits entered by 4‑H members with special needs will be marked for the judge’s information only. Families will provide this information.

14. Identification- In addition to entry tag, a label with the exhibitor’s name, item’s department, division, and class should be attached to each separate piece of the exhibit.

15. Scoresheets- Scoresheets used for classes in divisions are listed by the corresponding division or class. PLEASE NOTE: County Fair scoresheets are denoted with CF numbers whereas State Fair scoresheets are denoted with SF numbers. Many county classes will use state fair scoresheets. For example: Heritage scoresheets begin with letters SF therefore will be found on the scoresheet website listed above. If any entire division uses the same scoresheet, the scoresheet number will be listed under the division title.

16.* Classes- All classes with a star (*) after the class number are not eligible for state fair competition.

DISASTER RESPONSE, PREPAREDNESS & SAFETY  

Premium Code: STATIC ITEMS

Disaster response and preparedness is vital for all Nebraskans. In this division 4-H members have the opportunity to share what they learned about a disaster, how they responded and will have a place to share their successes in disaster recovery. They can also create exhibits about all-terrain vehicles, fire and tractor safety. In addition, participants can also create informational exhibits about basic safety strategies. Through involvement in this division, 4-H members will be better educated about disaster response and recovery and personal safety.

GENERAL RULES:

1. Posters must be no larger than 22” X 28”.
2. Scrapbooks are to be exhibited in a three-ring binder.
3. Multimedia presentations are to be uploaded to a video streaming application and the 4-H member must provide a hard copy QT code for viewing. 4-H members are encouraged to test their codes or link on several devices to check for appropriate permission for public viewing.

Disaster Recovery & Response

Dept E  Division 440

Classes

3    Disaster Kit- (Emergency Preparedness) Scoresheet SF111- Disaster kits must contain the materials to prepare a person or family for emergency conditions caused by a natural or man-made incident.  Selection of materials is left to the exhibitor. Family or group kits must have enough material or items for each person. A description of the kit's purpose, the number of people supported, and a list of contents is required. 4-H members are encouraged to test their kit by challenging their family to try to survive using only the included materials for the designated time. If tested, share that experience in kit documentation. Please include an explanation of drinking water needs for your disaster kit. Do not bring actual water to the fair in the kit. 

7    Disaster Preparedness Learning Experience- Scoresheet SF- TBA- Create a poster, scrapbook or multi-media presentation promoting a preparedness training or a recovery message or response to a weather-related or man-made disaster. Examples of training could include a first aid or first responder training, a farm safety day camp, babysitting workshop or similar events; scientific experiment related to safety related to a weather-related disaster; or the youth’s response to an emergency situation in that disaster event. Documentation should include evidence of your family’s or community’s preparedness, response or recovery for the disaster topic or training experience.

8    E440008 Care Package Display (SF182) - This exhibit is a display about the PROCESS of creating and giving a care package, not the actual care package. You may use a poster or multi-media program to tell about the PROCESS of developing and giving a care package to a recipient who has experienced a weather or man-made disaster. Multi-media presentations are to be uploaded to a video streaming application and 4-H member must provide a hard copy QR code for viewing. 4-H members are encouraged to test their codes or link on several devices to check for appropriate permissions for public viewing. Answer the following questions in your exhibit. How did you select the organization? What items did you include in your care package? Why did you select those items? How did it feel to present your care pack to the recipient? What did you learn from this experience? Other information that you feel is important about the care package or recipient. Examples of care packages are, replacement of toys lost in a disaster for the children, personal hygiene kits for individuals displaced after a disaster, soup in a jar, etc.

9 TELLING A STORY DISPLAY (SF TBA)– Exhibit will include three photos to tell a story. Photos should capture the beginning, middle, and end of a single story, project, or event showcasing a weather-related event, or man-made disaster. Display will consist of three 4 inch x 6 inch photos mounted on a single horizontal 11 inch x 14 inch black or white poster or mat board. Include a caption of a few sentences to explain the story the photos are telling.

Safety

Dept E  Division 440

Classes

1    General Purpose First Aid Kit- Scoresheet SF110- A first aid kit is a good way to organize supplies in an emergency. The kit should be assembled in a container appropriate for use in a home. A description of where the kit will be stored and examples of specific emergencies the kit is designed for should be included in the exhibit. The kit should include a written inventory and purpose statement for included items. Consider items needed to cover the following areas of first aid: airway and breathing, bleeding control, burn treatment, infectious disease protection, fracture care and miscellaneous supplies. Use Citizen Safety manual, 4-H 425, pages 6 & 7 for guidance. No purchased first aid kits are allowed.

      Kits containing any of the following will be automatically disqualified:

• Prescription medications. (If the kit's purpose is to provide medication for someone with special needs, explain in the written description and inventory, but remove the medication.)
• Materials with expiration dates on or before the judging date. (This includes sterile items, non-prescription medications, ointments, salves, etc. Articles dated month and year only are considered expired on the last day of that month.)
• Any controlled substance.

1. Specific Purpose First Aid Kit- Scoresheet SF192- A first aid kit is a good way to organize supplies in an emergency in a variety of situations and locations. The kit should be assembled in a container appropriate for the kit’s intended purpose. Examples could include a kit for a vehicle, boat, livestock building, camping, etc. A description of where the kit will be stored and examples of specific emergencies expected for that location should be included in the exhibit. The kit should include a written inventory and purpose statement for included items. Items included should be relevant to the kit’s intended purpose. Consider items needed to cover the following areas of first aid: airway and breathing, bleeding control, burn treatment, infectious disease, fracture care and miscellaneous supplies. Use Citizen Safety manual, 4-H425, pages 6 and 7 for guidance. No purchased first aid kits are allowed. 

Kits containing any of the following will be automatically disqualified:

• Prescription medications. (If the kit's purpose is to provide medication for someone with special needs, explain in the written description and inventory, but remove the medication.)
• Materials with expiration dates on or before the judging date. (This includes sterile items, non-prescription medications, ointments, salves, etc. Articles dated month and year only are considered expired on the last day of that month.)
• Any controlled substance.

5    Safety Experiences Poster or Scrapbook- Scoresheet SF190- Share a learning experience the 4-H member had related to safety or incident types. Examples could be participating in first aid or first responder training, a farm safety day camp, babysitting workshop, or similar events; scientific experiment related to safety; or the youth’s response to an emergency situation. Include a detailed description of the experience, the 4-H member’s role, some evidence of the member’s leadership in the situation and a summary of the learning that took place. Exhibits may be presented in a poster with supplemental documentation, a notebook including up to ten pages of narrative and pictures, or a multimedia presentation lasting up to five minutes.

6    Careers in Safety- Scoresheet SF191- The exhibit should identify a specific career area in the safety field and include education and certification requirements for available positions, salary information, demand for the field and a summary of the 4-H member’s interest in the field. Examples of careers include firefighters, paramedics, emergency management personnel, various military assignments, law enforcement officers, emergency room medical personnel, fire investigators and more. It is recommended 4-H members interview a professional in the field in their research. Additional research sources might include books, articles, career web sites, job-related government web sites or interviews with career placement or guidance counselors. Exhibits may be presented in a poster with supplemental documentation, a notebook including up to ten pages of narrative and pictures, or a multimedia presentation lasting up to five 

Minutes. 

Fire Safety

Dept E  Division 450

Classes

1    Fire Safety Poster- Scoresheet SF269- This is a home floor plan drawn to scale showing primary and secondary escape routes and where fire extinguishers and smoke detectors are located. Draw every room, including all doors and windows. Use black or blue arrows showing primary escape routes from each room. Use red arrows showing secondary routes to use if the primary routes are blocked.  Primary and secondary escape routes must lead outside to an assembly location. Documentation should include evidence the escape plan has been practiced at least four times. 

2    Fire Prevention Poster or Scrapbook- Scoresheet SF268- Poster or scrapbook promoting a fire prevention message and be appropriate to display during National Fire Prevention Week or to promote fire safety at specific times of the year (Halloween, 4th of July, etc.) Originality, clarity, and artistic impression will all be judged. Do not include live fireworks, matches or other flammable/explosive/hazardous materials. Any entry containing this material will be disqualified.