Gatorland eyes Nov. 22 opening

Emergency plan to help park get back on track, executive says

As fire investigators sorted through the wreckage of Gatorland's entrance hall and gift shop, the theme park's management set a goal Tuesday of reopening in two weeks.

Gatorland President Mark McHugh hopes for a speedy recovery from a fire that gutted the park's 7,000-square-foot main building and damaged the giant concrete alligator jaws that for more than 40 years were its entrance.

"We had a plan in place for the last two or three years for what we would do if we were to lose part of the front end of our park," McHugh said. "We considered things like a truck running into the gator mouth, but not something as big as this."

But McHugh said it could have been even worse. Firefighters prevented the blaze from incinerating the corporate offices, which were attached to the entrance hall, sparing the company's records.

"We have recovered all our records," McHugh said. "We had the file server that backed up our computer files off site."

The only animal casualties were a dwarf crocodile and two pythons kept in the gift shop.

If all goes well, McHugh said, the park could reopen as soon as Nov. 22. It would try to borrow ticket booths from other attractions, he said. And an air-conditioned building near the center of the park could serve as a temporary gift shop. Replacing the entrance hall itself will take more time.

"I project the rebuilding will take at least a year -- maybe a little sooner," McHugh said.

Investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office examined the remnants of the burned building Tuesday, but by late afternoon they hadn't determined what caused the blaze.

Jerry Aldrich, president of Amusement Industry Consulting in Orlando, said the Gatorland fire offers evidence for why amusement parks and tourist attractions should have detailed emergency plans.

"Crisis management is very important," Aldrich said. "It is important to develop a plan so that, when something does happen, you have acted it out and you are ready."

Mark Brisson, marketing manager for Fun Spot, a small amusement park off International Drive in Orlando, said the Gatorland fire is stirring his attraction to action.

"The tragedy at Gatorland is prompting us to put our house in order," Brisson said. "We will use our hurricane plan for a fire plan."

Brisson said Fun Spot now keeps important paper records and contracts on site but would likely start storing important documents at multiple locations.

"We would want to have our employee lists located away from the property," he said. "We need a safer place to back up contracts and other important paperwork. We will make these changes because of what happened to Gatorland."

Many thanks to: Christopher Boyd | Sentinel Staff Writer