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Be safe when using fireworks
Published July 4, 2007
Local fireworks vendors are celebrating the summer holidays with sales and success, but local doctors and city officials warn that using commercial explosives is dangerous and illegal within the city limits.
Both commercial and professional fireworks displays have been associated with the national holiday since the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia.
Fireworks safety is a key issue every July. Caution, common sense and parental supervision are the best safeguards against injury, Mimi Enzler, owner of Mimi’s Fireworks, said. Stable ground and perimeters also help, and this year’s heavy rains will reduce the fire risks normally associated with fireworks.
Fireworks are not sold to children younger than 12 without parental supervision, and she said warnings are given to all customers about fireworks safety. Enzler said with proper precautions, fireworks can be a safe activity and an exciting show.
The law
Possessing and firing commercial fireworks is illegal inside Kerrville city limits, and vendors can operate only outside the city. Texas is one of 37 states which allows broad sale and use of commercial fireworks in rural areas, and Kerrville’s regulations are standard for cities throughout the state.
Seven states ban the sale of commercial fireworks altogether, and six allow only sparklers. Enzler said she understood why fireworks were banned inside the city limits, but felt that banning commercial fireworks would be an invasion of privacy and personal freedom. She also said a designated safe area would decrease the potential for injury.
“I try to tell them all to use caution. I would feel very badly if someone got hurt,” Enzler said. “But, the people should be able to make that decision. It’s their risk, so why isn’t it their choice?”
Cause for concern
Kathleen Holland, owner of Hill Country Pediatrics and licensed pediatrician, said commercial fireworks were very dangerous to children, even with parental supervision. She said the American Academy of Pediatrics supported the banning of all commercial fireworks following a report by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System cataloging fireworks injuries. The report also was analyzed and adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report stated there were 10,800 fireworks-related injuries treated in Emergency Room hospitals throughout the United States in 2005, including four deaths. Sixty percent of all injuries occurred between June 18 and July 18, and 45 percent of all injuries were children younger than 14 years old.
“Supervision is not a safety precaution. It’s a fallacy to say that if adults play with fireworks, they must be safe,” Holland said. “I think commercial fireworks should be banned. I think that 10,800 injuries is significant, especially since 45 percent were children.”
Catch the show
Kerrville Fire Marshall Steve Chapman said citizens should avoid commercial fireworks and instead attend the professional fireworks display tonight at Louise Hays Park. The festivities begin at 7 p.m., and the fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m. Chapman said the show will be inspected by the Kerrville Fire Department and will be safer and more entertaining than personal firework use.
Anyone wanting to use fireworks on his own should follow safety guidelines released by the Kerrville Fire Marshall and should not attempt to bring or use fireworks inside the city limits. Chapman said fireworks use also should not be combined with alcohol consumption.
Violators could face up to a $2,000 fine.
Chapman said a designated safe zone would be too great a liability for the city to enforce. Professional pyrotechnic operators must be licensed by the state, undergo rigorous safety inspections and are expensive. Professional shows, not safe areas, are designed to provide citizens with a safe alternative.
“[Fireworks] are very dangerous, and that’s why they’re banned in the city limits. My recommendation is to don’t use them, and come to the show,” Chapman said. “But, if anybody’s using them in the city, we’re going to take the calls. We’re going to take the fireworks away, and we’re going to write people up.”
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