West Coast Ghost and Paranormal Society

1.    What is our philosophy?
-    We approach each case from a scientific point of view by finding reasonable explanations for each claim. We begin by eliminating anything non-paranormal, which allows us to concentrate our efforts on the evidence that is unexplainable.

2.    Do we believe in the paranormal?
-    Some of us have had personal experiences, while other members of West Coast GAPS are more skeptical. We approach every investigation unbiased, and prepared to test and re-test.

3.    Do we charge for an investigation?
-    We will never charge for an investigation. We are a nonprofit driven by passion and are grateful when given the opportunity to investigate a property.

4.    Do we accept donations?
-    We do accept donations. We are a nonprofit organization trying to expand our reach in the in the community. To fund our equipment and travel, we graciously accept donations from anyone who is willing to help continue our cause.

5.    Is my investigation kept confidential?
-    We will keep all of your information confidential and provide non-disclosure forms at your request.

6.    What can I do if you find evidence during my investigation?
-    After revealing what we find or don’t find, we can offer suggestions on what to do. We do not perform cleansings or exorcisms. Everyone has a different belief and our suggestions will be made based on our findings and your needs.

7.    Do we get a copy of any evidence?
-    We will give you a copy of our findings in written form and on CD or DVD if requested.

8.    How long does a typical investigation last?
-    A typical investigation will last 7-8 hours during the evening and late-night hours. Depending on the size of the location, we may investigate over a two night period.

9.    What days do you typically investigate?
-    Our investigation our typically conducted on Friday and Saturday. Depending on the urgency of a case, we may investigate anytime that is convenient for you.

10.     What happens if someone from your group damages something at our location?
-    We take full liability for anything that happens during our investigation. If any damage occurs during an investigation, you will be notified immediately so the issue may be resolved.

11.    What happens if one of your investigators is hurt during an investigation?
-    We have liability waivers available to release you from any liability during an investigation.

12.    Will your investigation disrupt my business and guests?
-    No it won’t. Other than hotels, we will only investigate after closing hours. We respect privacy and treat all of your guests and patrons as we would like to be treated.

13.    Can I invite others to see your investigation?
-    We ask that the number of people observing the investigation be kept to a minimum due to possible contamination of audio and video.

14.    Where will I, and other people (managers, staff, family, etc.), be during the investigation?
-    We ask that you sit at command center during the investigation with one of our members to reduce possible contamination.

15.    How long before I receive the results from the investigation?
-    Typically it will take about two weeks to review all of the evidence collected at which time we will sit down and reveal anything we have found.

16.    Do you use mediums or psychics in your investigations?
-    We do not use psychics or mediums. We prefer to concentrate on obtaining hard evidence in photo, video or audio form. We view personal experiences from our investigators such as being touched, feeling a cold spot, hearing a voice, etc. with caution and most of the time we don’t use it as evidence unless it can be substantiated with our equipment.

17.    What type of scientific equipment do you use?
-    We use a variety of equipment to capture and measure activity such as digital cameras, digital SLR Cameras, digital audio recorders, professional audio recorders, infrared CCTV cameras, DVR monitoring and recording system, EMF meters, infrared digital temperature meters, ambient temperature sensors, and software for analyzing photography, audio, and video.  To view a complete list and description of our equipment, see our technical equipment section.

19.    How many investigators should I expect?
-    The number of investigators will vary based on the square footage and number of rooms at the location. We always ask and research the property size so we can determine how many investigators can be present without contaminating the audio and video evidence. Typically for a home or small business, you can expect 4-6 investigators. For a facility with multiple floors or large area to be covered, you can expect 6-10 investigators. One to two members of our team will always remain at the command center during the investigation.

20.    When was the West Coast Ghost and Paranormal Society founded?
-    West Coast GAPS was founded in 2007 by Andy and Makayla Rice after unsuccessful attempts to find another local organization that shared the same vision and goals.

21.    How much experience do you have investigating the paranormal?
-    Our senior members have a combined 21 years of experience. Andy Rice, Founder of West Coast GAPS, has more than 13 years of experience researching and investigating the paranormal. Each member undergone extensive training in the methodology of investigating, use of all the technical equipment, and analyzing evidence.

22.  Why do you investigate at night?
-     This is because we encounter less electrical interference and audio contamination is minimal. It is not because we believe that paranormal events only occur in the dark.

23.    The most common question we are asked, “Are you a Ghostbuster?”
-    No, we do not have a self-contained storage facility to contain trapped ghosts. LOL!!!