EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — The Edwardsville Fire Department announced it will extending tent permits until Jan. 2021 for all businesses that currently have a valid tent permit.
This comes as the entire State of Illinois will be under tighter restrictions on Wednesday due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker reported another near-record day for COVID-19 numbers in the state. There were 6,222 new cases reported, which is the fifth-highest total since the pandemic hit Illinois.
Many restaurants in the area have added tents to accommodate the Illinois Department of Public Health requirements, which limit indoor dining.
The Edwardsville Fire Department said it has received questions about adding heaters to tents as cooler weather arrives. It said under current Illinois Department of Public Health mitigations, tents must have two sides open and the fire department said both electric and propane heaters can be safely added to tents as long as the following rules are met:
- Heaters must be UL Listed, installed and operated per manufacturers specifications
- Electric heaters must be plugged into an appropriate outlet; cords should be protected from damage and becoming tripping hazards
- Fuel tanks for propane heaters must be located more than 5-feet away from the tent
- Whenever a heater is located in a tent there must also be a fire extinguisher present in the tent
And for businesses that want to install a new tent the following rules must be met:
- Tents over 10 feet by 10 feet require a permit
- Tents for businesses need to meet NFPA 1701 flame resistance
- Tents need to be installed properly, according to manufacturer’s recommendations
- Tents need to be located properly, so as to not block exits from buildings
Permit applications are available at www.cityofedwardsville.com, and the permitting process is free.
