By Josh Margolis
HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Great Northern Fair Board held a meeting with Acting State Fire Marshal Dirk Johnson and two officials from the Department of Labor Thursday and received positive news regarding buildings on the grounds being in compliance with fire codes.
Johnson says that because the Community Center and the Bigger Better Barn were built decades ago and met standards at the time, they do not need upgrades in order to remain in compliance.
“The Bigger Better Barn is mixed use, and the building department designated that it can continue as it has as a grandfathered,” Johnson told New Media Broadcasters following the meeting. “And that’s the same for the Community Center. They’re grandfathered in since they were built. And they can continue as they’ve been used in the past into the future.”
However, State Building Inspector Yancey Beston and Eastern Montana Program Manager of the Building and Commercial Measurements Bureau Darrell Aaby with the Department of Labor recommended a few updates to make the buildings safer.
“Maybe in the Community Center, instead of just the regular exit signs, to put some lighted exit signs in,” says Johnson. “And then to put maybe some controls on the stove, that it only reaches to so high (temperature) and then it will shut off.”
At the meeting, Fair Manager Frank English said they have purchased lighted exit signs and will be putting them up soon.
When improvements are being made to buildings, Beston and Aaby urged the Board to ensure they get a permit for everything except painting and pouring.
The recently built Chuckwagon did not receive the same news. Although events can continue at the venue, improvements will have to be made in the near future to meet codes.
“That is a change of use. And it’s only four years old. It’ll go from A3 to an A2. They’ll have to go through the permit process to bring it up to code to have the A2 type facilities, beer and food … (The DOL Building Department) says they can continue to hold events and then to work with them through the permitting process to get the alarms in there.”
For the time being, Beston and Aaby say that there will have to be someone on watch at Chuckwagon event just to make sure everything is safe.
Johnson also discussed the controversy regarding confusion of enforcement for events such as the Jaycees Haunted House that sparked up last October.
“I never even came here. Just so everyone on this Fair Board knows, I never even showed up to shut anything down. I didn’t write any letters…I will (shut it down) this year if you have a Haunted House, but it still goes to your County Attorney … if they agree with it, that overrules me, we’re fine. So all (the letter I sent in March 2021) was was an informational thing that (Fair Manager Frank English) requested. You can read it 100 times. It doesn’t shut anything down. It doesn’t do anything. And the October deal, I wasn’t even here. I literally sent (special event code regulations) to (DES Coordinator Amanda Frickel).”
“And I forwarded it to the Commissioners…” replied Frickel.
“I didn’t come here. I didn’t shut it down, I didn’t do anything,” Johnson added later. “It got to my attorney’s that are way, way above me, and it got to the Commissions here and stuff. But as a Fair Board, I just want to tell you guys, I printed off some more copies (of special event rules)…It’s something you really, really need to think about if you’re going to (hold another Haunted House). First of all, whatever building you’re doing it, it’s a change of occupancy. You have to go through (DOL)…It’s pretty stringent code. And the only reason I would say I’d have to deny it is I have to protect the state of Montana just like these guys do, and just like you guys do. Because if someone gets hurt in a Haunted House and they don’t meet that code, there’s not a checkbook big enough. And when I say it’s stringent code, it’s hugely stringent on fire sprinklers, fire alarms. And every Haunted House has noise and lights. So if someone hits a pull station on that alarm, everything has gotta shut off and light up. And no building in Montana meets that code … This is exactly what I sent Amanda. Not shutting anything down. No letters, no nothing. Just the code. And that blew up. I didn’t even know what it was about. So just something to think about. That if you guys are doing that, you have to go through (DOL), and it’s probably going to have to meet that code. Because no one wants to sign (off) on a Haunted House that doesn’t meet that.”
Johnson later reiterated that he says he did not make any decision to shut the Haunted House down, only that he passed along regulations upon request.
“I didn’t even come up here (last October),” said Johnson after the meeting. “I sent the DES Coordinator Amanda (Frickel) some code, because she requested it, and that’s all that happened. It kind of blew up from there. Now I think we’ve got that straightened away with the Fair Board and everyone through the Building Department and the Fire Marshal’s Office. And I think we understand that it’s just too hard to meet the code and it’s something that probably shouldn’t happen here.”
Johnson recommends that the Jaycees consider holding an outdoor Haunted House in the future.
“If you move a Haunted House outside, because you’re not locking people in anywhere, it’s outside. So the best place to have a Haunted House, even here or anywhere, would be outside.”
Other people at the meeting were Frickel, Fair Manager Frank English, and Fair Board members Kaleb Fisher, Michelle Burchard, Ken Erickson and Bob Kaul.
The County Commissioners, County Attorney and Rural Fire 1 Board all did not attend the meeting.
