Frontier City Gets Safety Inspection Before Opening

By Gan Matthews, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Frontier City is opening soon and state safety officials want to make sure all the attractions are ready for another season.

Frontier City is the state's only large amusement park, attracting thousands of visitors every season.

People of all ages love the thrills, but there's always a built-in risk. That's why the Labor Department inspectors have been looking over all the rides recently--including the Silver Bullet, the park's big roller-coaster.

"Right now we're doing a lap bar check. We're making sure that it's working properly. We're listening to make sure that we can hear it hit each sprocket," said Labor Department Inspector Michelle Politte.

Two summers back, the Silver Bullet broke down in the middle of a ride. Four people had to be rescued from cars at the top.

"You know, that was a very minor incident. We were able to get the people off of the ride very quickly," said Frontier City General Manager Stephen Ball.

Frontier City said it works closely with the Labor Department to ensure safety.

The last amusement ride fatality in Oklahoma occurred two years ago at the State Fair, not at Frontier City, and the Labor Department said that was operator error, not mechanical failure.

So far the inspectors have found only some minor glitches at Frontier City.

"I have all the confidence in the world in my guys, what they do and these things meet the requirements of the Oklahoma Amusement Ride Safety Act," said Tom Monroe, Director of Safety Standards.

Frontier City opens to the public on April 17.