§ 34-14. Float parades.

All float parades conducted during carnival parade season shall be subject to the following additional requirements:

(1)

Each parade shall consist of no less than 14 and no more than 45 pull units. Each pull unit shall bear a unique, sequential arabic number corresponding to the order in which the pull unit appears on the parade route, beginning with the number "1".

(2)

A tandem float shall be considered a single float for the purposes of this section.

(3)

The number of automobiles and/or minifloats or any combination thereof shall not exceed 14 or a number equal to 75 percent of the number of floats in a parade, whichever is the greater. Each automobile shall be limited to the driver, three maskers, and one escort riding therein.

(4)

The number of marching bands participating in a parade shall be based on the total number of pull units in the parade, as follows: 14 to 27 pull units, a minimum of seven marching bands; 28 to 36 pull units, a minimum of ten marching bands; 37 to 45 pull units, a minimum of 14 marching bands. Parades which are rescheduled because of inclement weather shall not be required to comply with the aforementioned minimum number of marching bands. Any marching band, mounted unit or other marching unit that contains at least one person under the age of 18 shall provide a minimum of one adult chaperone per every 15 participants, regardless of age. Such adult chaperones shall also be required to have affixed to their clothes, within clear, unobstructed and plain view, while the parade is in progress, placards, badges, or similar identification associating them with the band or parade that individual is chaperoning.

(5)

Military bands. Only members of the military band and their supervisors may participate in military bands marching or riding in carnival parades. All persons participating in military bands shall be in uniform.

(6)

Each Mardi Gras float that uses 120-volt fixed electrical wiring must register annually with the electrical division of the department of safety and permits and have an official annual electrical inspection sticker.

(7)

The annual fee for an inspection sticker is $10.00 per float. For purposes of this section only, tandem floats are considered one float.

(8)

The annual registration fee is $40.00 per parade krewe.

(9)

Inspection stickers will be issued after a licensed electrician has completed an official inspection form which states that the relevant floats have been examined by the petitioner and petitioner certifies that the electrical systems conform to the requirements of this section.

(10)

The inspection sticker must be installed on the driver's side of the front axle and must be visible for inspection.

(11)

The fire department will inspect each float for the presence of the electrical inspection sticker during the formation area inspection immediately prior to the start of the parade. Any float that does not have a valid sticker will be withdrawn from the parade.

(12)

Every Mardi Gras float and minifloat must conform to the following electrical requirements:

(a)

All wiring must be over-current protected with circuit breakers meeting the minimum requirements of NFPA 70, Article 240: National Electrical Code.

Example: 15-amp circuit breakers for 14-gauge wiring or 20-amp circuit breakers for 12-gauge wiring.

(b)

The electrical distribution panel must be located in an accessible location.

(c)

All electrical connections must utilize wire nuts or insulated butt splices.

(d)

All electrical connections must be housed within covered junction boxes, except for butt splices.

(e)

All staples used to secure wiring must have nonmetallic insulation.

(f)

All electrical work must be inspected by and signed off by an Orleans Parish class A licensed electrician.

(g)

A manual shutoff device for the generator must be within ten feet of the tractor driver or conspicuously marked for easy identification.

(h)

All pin socket light fixtures must be installed using the correct polarity.

(i)

Any float which uses electrical energy for anything other than lighting, i.e. disc jockey, musical equipment, animation etc., shall provide a minimum of one 20 amp circuit for the front of the float and one 20 amp circuit for the rear of the float. Each circuit may have no more than two weather proof duplex receptacles or one weather proof quad receptacle. Extension cords shall not be used.

(M.C.S., Ord. No. 19,314, § 1, 7-15-99; Ord. No. 20,142, § 1, 5-3-01; M.C.S., Ord. No. 21578, 6-3-04; M.C.S., Ord. No. 25813, § 7, 4-14-14; M.C.S., Ord. No. 25988, § 3, 8-14-14)