Thornton Tomasetti and Witt Associates release report on Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Today members of the Indiana State Fair Commission listened to presentations from independent assessment firms Witt Associates and Thornton Tomasetti. Both firms shared their findings and recommendations from nearly eight months of investigation into the structural failure of the stage trusses that collapsed on Aug. 13, 2011, and the decision-making and emergency preparedness of state fair and public safety officials. Seven people were killed in the collapse, and a reported 40 more were injured.

Immediately following the meeting, the commission posted the full reports and executive summaries to the ISFC website at www.in.gov/sfc.

Commission Chairman Andre Lacy reflected on the reports at a news conference following the meeting. “Our focus now is to have in place a public safety protocol, meeting the highest standard, and to learn what we can from these independent investigative reports so we can do everything in our power to make the Indiana State Fairgrounds stronger and better as we move forward into the future,” Lacy said. “We owe that to those lost and injured, and their families that must continue forward as well.”

Lacy shared a number of changes the fair organization would begin pursuing immediately:

• Implement the recommendations from the Witt and Thorton Tomasetti reports, from code compliance and inspections to comprehensive public-safety plans in conjunction with community public-safety partners.
• Hiring a chief operations officer primarily responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the Witt and Thorton Tomasetti recommendations, and drive public-safety forward.
• Establish a risk-assessment practice and expectations that will be set and monitored by the commission.
• Use the IOSHA report to further the protection of employees.

The commission said it will share the reports broadly with others across the state and beyond.

Executive Director Cindy Hoye will remain as staff leader of the commission. "Cindy has offered to resign on many occasions, but I want her to see this through," Lacy said, putting the responsibility of ambiguity of authority squarely on the shoulders of the commission. "It is our responsibility to provide the executive director with proper direction and authority."

"These investigations were never initiated as a means of placing blame," Lacy said. "Rather, we put ourselves willingly and openly – and publicly – under the microscope so that we could learn all that we can, and apply that learning to avoid a tragedy like Aug. 13 from ever happening again."