IAHA News and Updates from IAHAweb.com

By Tony Wohlgemuth, IAHA Director

Mercury Pay and IAHA have joined forces to create a group credit card processing program exclusively for IAHA members. Enrollment in this group discount program could mean substantially lower processing fees.

Mercury Payment Systems provides complete processing capabilities for all major credit, debit, and purchasing cards. Mercury and its partner, Global Payment Systems, process billions of transactions a year, authorize the transactions in seconds, and then direct the information to the appropriate card network for payment. With one of the most reliable networks in the industry, you can be assured of quick connections and continuous service.

Save money on processing fees by switching to Mercury Pay, IAHA's official Credit Card Processing Company. A simple to read chart showing the saving for the most common transactions as well as details on how to enroll in the program can be found on our website at www.HauntedHouseAssociation.org.

By Dan Faupal, IAHA Director

The IAHA Board of Directors unveiled its highly anticipated three-year plan at the Annual Meeting on February 24, 2007. The plan, entitled “Three Year Plan for Future Success” had six major goals: conducting industry research, clarifying IAHA’s mission, improving membership communication, creating more member benefits, improving association management and promoting the industry and IAHA.

IAHA has decided on a direction, and is dedicated to advancing professional haunted attractions. It is an exciting time to be a part of this association. United there is much we can accomplish as an industry.

The Three Year Plan, including specific action steps for each goal and a proposed timeline, is available for download from our website at www.HauntedHouseAssociation.org.

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Agriculture is responsible for overseeing the safe operation of rides and attractions throughout the commonwealth. The Department considers Haunted Houses and Hayrides a Class 1 Attraction.

The Pennsylvania Amusement Ride Inspection Act mandates that ride or attraction owners (or their authorized representatives) become certified and trained to do regular inspections of their rides and attractions in addition to the annual Quality Assurance Inspections that are conducted by the department. “Pennsylvania’s are the only haunted attraction operators who are also trained safety professionals,” said Joseph G. Filoromo, supervisor of the department’s Bureau of Ride and Measurement Standards Division. He went on to say, “Haunted Attractions in Pennsylvania are arguably the safest in the nation.”

The PA Department of Agriculture will be holding their spring safety seminar series in Harrisburg, PA on March 21 and 22. Registration for Class 1 certification is $95. The seminars, which include approximately eight hours of specialized training for haunted attractions, satisfy Pennsylvania’s training and testing requirements. The inspector (a.k.a. the attraction owner or their authorized representative) will be granted a three-year certification upon completion, which can be renewed without testing if the inspector attends at least one seminar within the next three years. Haunted attraction owners from outside of Pennsylvania are welcome to attend and will receive certification credentials upon completion of the seminars.

The registration brochure for the 2007 Pennsylvania Ride Inspectors Spring Seminars can be downloaded at http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=129356

Many haunted houses have used the old cliché "Scare you to Death," but none took it so far as the Haunted Hydro in Fremont, Ohio. For the last 17 years, Haunted Hydro owner Bob Turner has always told his staff, “It is not a question of if it [an life treating emergency] will happen. It is a question of when it will happen.” This past season, IAHA founding members Bob and Beth Turner averted a potentially life threatening situation at their attraction.

According to a press release from the Haunted Hydro, “On Sunday, October 22 Estrella Martinez, [a visitor to the Hydro], had a catastrophic heart attack. Haunted Hydro owners, Bob and Beth Turner and Park Manager, Laura Stokes were prepared specifically for medical emergencies of this nature. Russ Aikman, chief of security and medical for the Haunted Hydro, responded immediately when Ms. Martine fell to the ground. For four minutes, he, assisted by haunt staff Jay VanFleet and Janet Gnepper, performed real emergency life saving techniques until Sandusky County Sheriff Deputy Arquette arrived on the scene with a defibulator. For an additional three more minutes Deputy Arquette and Aikman worked continuously to revive Ms. Martine, who had no pulse or heart beat. Finally, their efforts were rewarded with shallow breathing and a weak pulse.”

“The Sandusky County EMS arrived and transported the Ms. Martine to Memorial Hospital of Fremont, where she was then Life Flighted to Toledo Hospital. At the time of this release, the Haunted Hydro has been notified that Ms. Martine is doing well and credits the Haunted Hydro in saving her life.”

For 17 years, Bob Turner has constantly strived to be prepared for events of this nature and the preparations and training have finally paid off.