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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Indiana Department of Homeland Security will ensure that haunted houses are up to code and safe for all visitors this Halloween season.
To be licensed to operate, haunted houses must pass departmental inspections.
“Our inspectors go out year round, but at this time of year the focus is on haunted houses,” said Joe Tanasovich, investigator for the Indiana State Fire Marshal. These inspectors ensure that haunted houses meet Indiana safety laws, but the main focus of inspectors is fire safety.
“Make sure they have a safety plan, if the building is to have a fire extinguisher system, make sure they have what is required, that it is working and functioning properly, make sure that there are enough exits, ”Tanasovich said.
However, having exits in every section of the haunted house is not enough.
“I want to make sure that there is not only a door, but that there is a path to safety if there is a reason someone needs to get away from the building,” said Tanasovich said.
These inspections must be reviewed annually because haunted houses never stay the same.
“We have a year round team that rebuilds and builds new stages and the whole show,” said Scott Waterman, owner of Hanna Haunted Acres.
Safety procedures were not required by law until a haunted house turned into a real nightmare in 1984. Tanasovich said: “In 1984 there was a fatal fire in a haunted house, and that’s where a lot of the codes we have today come from. “
Haunted houses should have their operating licenses posted. If visitors don’t see a permit, have a staff member see it. If the haunted house does not have a permit, do not enter or report the facility to Indiana Department of Homeland Security.
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