Safety

Well, most people like myself start out by putting up Christmas lights on a house like normal people would. 

At the end of the Christmas season, we end up seeing great Boxing Week Sales with prices marked down to 75% off. So, if you are a true Christmas light fanatic, then you cannot resist these great deals; and then end up buying shopping carts full of stuff.

Problems start to arise by the 2nd or 3rd year when you realize you have WAY TOO MANY lights and not enough power. You end up using all of the plugs outside and in the garage, and still need more. Then, next thing would be to pass extension cords though a basement window to the fuse panel plugs or under the garage door.  Well, I hate to tell ya, but this is illegal in Ontario (at least it is according to the electrical code book).  

If I’m going to put up a display this large for the public to see and interact with, then it is my obligation to ensure the pubic is safe when visiting it (besides, it’s the law). There is no point in raising $4,000 for the hospital, then end up putting someone in the hospital because of it. 

In 1995 I realized that I needed to do this right.  So, over the past 11 years I have been collecting all sorts of stuff to make sure the display was up to spec.  There were never any safety issues in 1995, however there were areas that needed to be addressed (wires under garage doors).  After speaking with an electrical inspector and having a schematic drawing of the new power grid plan, it was my new goal to make it happen.

Security

So how is the display protected?
Well, when you have something this large, other than having a security guard on site at all times, you can’t. But here is what I did to deter vandalism and theft:
 
I put up some motion lights to light up the yard at night.

Once the yard is lit up, a network of wireless IP security cameras records everything to a PC inside. Smile!

I put up a sign to remind the late night rebels that this display is recorded and is for a good cause.

Have I been vandalized? Yes. This year, before I set up the cameras and signs out on the lawn, some kids came by and stole lights out of the bushes and trees.

In 1995, some creeps stole my original donation box. No need to worry though - no money was in it because it's emptied every night. It even had 3 concrete blocks inside it at the time, and they still took it.

So how will I stop them this year?

1. Built a bigger box 3'x3'x3'.
2. Made it out of 1" solid plywood all around.
3. Fill it full of 500lbs of interlocking stone inside
4. Chain it to the tree with a 1 1/4 inch chain.
5. Drive four 2"x4" posts on a 45 degree angle underneath it into the ground. Then bolted the box to those.
6. Lock it obviously.
7. Put a security sensor in it to trip off the house alarm if it is moved or opened.
8. Record it on my cameras
9. Have a security light on it overnight.
10. And lastly, after all the money is taken out for the night, I put in a blocking bracket. This prevents people from putting in money during the night that could get lost.

Accountability for Fundraising

When collecting the fundraising money, I felt it would be nice to have another professional source involved to ensure that the money was collected and deposited securely. Dan Coldwell helped by providing the banking services to collect money for this type of cash flow. Dan helps other organizations where money is collected this way (i.e. money from vending machines). As you can see the money is counted by denomination, then put on a sheet on a daily basis.  The money is then put in a secure “banking industry” cash bag for deposit.  No money is ever left inside the donation box overnight or for long periods of time.