Haunted house safety regulations available

While it may be early for parents to be thinking of Halloween, it’s probably foremost on the mind of local organizations which want to have a haunted house as a fundraiser. The best way to scare the public is by doing it safely.

Fire Chief Mario Garcia wants to remind everyone of the procedure for setting up a haunted house. First, fire marshal Dave LaPere will need to inspect the locations before and after the construction of the haunted house. Appointments should be made by calling 882-7526.

Once the location has passed inspection, the group will be given a permit which states the building has been approved.

The fire department has a number of guidelines for how to keep the location safe once it has been turned into a haunted house:

 No candles or other open flames.

 Decorative materials in the location must be flame proof/flame resistant and must not come into contact with light bulbs at any point.

 Extension cords should be avoided if at all possible. If used, they must be heavy duty cords. Lightweight “zip cords” will not be be allowed.

 Octopus multiple outlet plugs are prohibited. Multiple cords must be serviced by a U.L. listed power tap with a circuit breaker.

 “Dead-end corridors” should be avoided during the construction of the haunted house.

The fire department has the discretion to allow or ban any that have been built.

The haunted house must have a sufficient amount of emergency exists, fire extinguishers and emergency lighting. This can be in the form of haunted house attendants equipped with flashlights stationed at various locations in the house. A visible “no smoking” signs must be posted at the entrance to the house. Like every other building, no smoking will be allowed inside the haunted house.

Lightweight materials like cardboard or wall panelling will not be allowed. Plastic sheeting will not be allowed. All construction materials should meet the minimum requirement, a 1/2 inch plywood or particle board, but sheetrock or gypsum board are preferred.

There must be adult supervision at all times during the operation of the haunted house and

it will be subject to inspection at all times during the construction or operation.

Non-compliance will cause the immediate closure of the haunted house.

A copy of these directions is available at the Fire Department office, 40 W. Cleveland Ave.