OABA Update-by Bob Johnson, OABA President & CEO ARE YOU READY TO RIDE?
With summer finally over and the fall fair and festival season in full swing, I know the Flori- da Fairs are busy gearing up
for another great season in this great state. And with this year’s Presidential race neck and neck, we will know soon if our favor- ite candidate will claim a victory in November! At the wonderful summer meeting hosted by the Pensacola
Interstate Fair, and your President, Felicia Frenkel Chivington, I enjoyed giving many of you a more in depth explanation as to why the mobile amusement industry relies on temporary, season- al, foreign labor to survive.
Since that time, I’ve made several
1st, we are hopeful that the Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded, will once again contain the H-2B Returning Worker provision, until the new Administration and Congress is seated in January, pass final legislation to fund trillions of dol- lars, so that our federal government can get on with its business. This returning worker provision, which we had in FY 2016, we hope will once again apply in FY 2017, to allow more than the government mandated 66,000 workers under this work visa pro- gram, to enter this country and work legally. The Florida Amusement Device and Attraction Advisory Com-
mittee met in mid-September, with many top management from our Florida Fairs attending, including and thanks to Lisa Hinton distributing this meeting information. I normally Chair this meet- ing, as appointed by Commission- er Putnam, however a DC, H-2B lobbying trip conflicted with this date, so Bill Costagliola, from Amusements of America, acted as Chair, and did a great job, I hear. One of the items that I asked be placed on the agenda for Florida’s amusement park and attractions meeting was the higher than nor- mal ride incidents that have oc- curred this summer, around the country. To date some 16 serious incidents have taken place in just the portable amusement ride in- dustry, and many more, when you include amusement parks and at- tractions. Your State Department of Agriculture and Consumer Ser- vices is in contact with other State officials to discuss what happened and how these incidents can be prevented from happening in this
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lobbying trips to Washington, DC to help tell our plight and con- vince key lawmakers how important the H-2B visa program is to fairs, carnivals and concessionaires in the mobile amusement industry. Across this country, fair management and fair boards play a key role in helping our industry as you are well connected, politically in your communities, and you too, have a vested inter- est with the income provided from your midway. With the federal government’s new, fiscal year starting October
State. That is of course if they were related to operator or mechanical failure, and not patron error, which we know is the major cause of ride incidents. Overall, the Bureau of Fair Rides In-
spection reported that there were 8,870 amusement rides inspected last season, with 150 Stop Operation Orders given. Which means the rides cannot operate until the failure item is fixed. With Flor- ida’s weekly inspection program, 16,891 deficiencies were re- ported, down from 28,024 deficiencies from the prior year. There were 4,132 ride inspections without any issues, or 47%; with 1,736 permits to operate issued (about the same as the prior year). And finally, 11 Consumer Complaints were reported in Tallahassee, from inappropriate music being played, to concerns with the rust or condition of the ride. Your State DACS folks investigate and take immediate, appropriate action. All of us have a responsibility to insure the highest concern for ride safety and as fair management, you should never hesitate to bring up a patron issue or discuss your concerns with your mid- way provider. All of us need to be on our best game when it comes to the safety of our guests.
May 18-20, 2017
Florida Federation of Fairs Convention And IAFE Zone II Meeting Buena Vista Palace Orlando, FL
FAIRCRACKER-FALL 2016
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