by Dot Cannon

This Saturday morning started with a road test for the Burbank Tournament of Roses Association.

The vehicle in question moved at two miles per hour, included animation and special effects and featured a giraffe named Oscar.

Like all float builders in the Rose Parade®, the six independent volunteer float builders, or “self-builts”, have to undergo two inspections of their float prior to New Year’s Day.  Inspectors from Tournament of Roses® come onsite to check the float’s brakes, animation, and any potential hazards prior to its appearance in the Rose Parade®.  Today was Burbank Tournament of Roses’ (TOR’s) second inspection and test drive.

So, a very early morning was had by all at Burbank Tournament of Roses’ float barn.

“Float moving!” came the call from the lot, just after 7:30.

And their 2015 entry, “Jungle Rescue”, was headed for the road.

“Do you know the story of this float?” asked Burbank Tournament of Roses Association President Ginny Barnett.  “Mrs. Toucan’s house is on fire, and the volunteer fire department is there to put it out.”

Ginny said the float was created in accordance with the 2015 parade’s theme, “Inspiring Stories”, to honor volunteer firefighters everywhere.  As is tradition, each of the characters on the float gets a name.

“There’s a little elephant, named Peanut, at the back who wants so badly to be a part of the volunteer fire department,” Ginny said.  “And we named the giraffe fire chief Oscar, in honor of (longtime volunteer) Oscar Wheeler, who passed away this year.”

For “Jungle Rescue”, today was about both readiness for the Rose Parade®’s five-and-a-half-mile drive, and the show that happens, onboard the float, once that drive starts.  Both were looking great.

“The smoke comes out of the top, the bird’s moving, the giraffe is moving…we have real water in the back (in a waterfall),” explained one of the design and decoration staffers.  “We were supposed to have real flames and then they ended up doing (them in) roses.”

That animation all appeared to be in good working order.

Bird wings flapped, simian firefighters moved back and forth with their hoses, and the hut, in the back, rose to its full height.

After the float pulled onto the street, a bang sounded from inside and smoke began pouring from the back.  It was all in the script, though–Burbank Tournament of Roses Association’s volunteers include pyrotechnics experts.

 

As always, the atmosphere (even for before 8 am on a Saturday) was festive.

A number of Burbank TOR committee members accompanied “Jungle Rescue” on its journey down the street, and everyone seemed to be taking pictures.

After a drive down Flower Street, the float turned around and headed back towards the barn.

And then–

“Fire!  FIRE!  Fire!” shouted a Tournament of Roses® inspector.

(No–“Jungle Rescue” had not ignited.  A fire drill is always part of the float inspection–and all drivers and riders have to be able to evacuate the float in forty-five seconds or less.)

Once the fire drill ended, “Jungle Rescue” made its way back to the float barn.  The inspectors gave Burbank TOR staffers a quick debriefing–and the expressions say it all!

But, nobody’s resting on their laurels (rose petals?) after today’s successful inspection and float drive.  Next on the agenda is painting the float, then decoration, or “deco” starts happening–with just a little over two weeks to go until “Jungle Rescue” makes its appearance in the 126th annual Rose Parade®.

In the midst of all the activity, Burbank Tournament of Roses is thinking ahead to the 127th one.

Their 2016 Rose Float Design Contest is happening right now, and you’re invited to enter.   Entry forms and information are available on their website.