Tuesday, Jul. 01, 2008

Fire Department encourages safe celebrations this holiday

This year’s Olathe fireworks show may not have the significance of last year’s — it was Olathe’s 150th birthday — but the city plans to celebrate the Fourth in its usual aerial splendor.

Fire officials hope that residents, however, will leave the aerial displays to licensed professionals and not break city ordinance by using fireworks. Olathe is one of 16 cities in the county that prohibit the possession, sale or use of fireworks. The ordinance even puts a damper on sparklers and caps.

“It about safety,” said Mike Hall, an Olathe Fire Department spokesman.

An Olathe man was injured last year when a firework exploded into his chest. In 2006, an Olathe family lost their home when children in the neighborhood were using fireworks that set the roof of the family’s house on fire.

The family was not home, but the fire destroyed the house. The incident cost much more than replacing the home, Hall said.

“They were displaced for eight to nine months, the house was torn down, a new one built, their possessions were lost, it cost about $600,000 by the time it was over,” Hall said.

Although some people may be safe when using fireworks, it’s like trying to control a fire.

“Many people think that sparklers are safe, but they burn at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Merriam Fire Marshal Bob Pape, a spokesman for the Johnson County Fire and Emergency Services Chiefs’ Association.

Many children younger than 18 years old are burned each year because parents think sparklers are safer than exploding fireworks and allow their children to use them.

“It is as hot as volcano lava,” Pape said.

In 2005, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 10,800 people for fireworks-related injuries. In 2004, there were more than 2,200 structure and vehicle fires attributed to fireworks, which resulted in more than $21 million in property loss. In 2003, fireworks in Kansas caused more than $500,000 in property damage.

“The Fourth of July is a great holiday, we just want them to have a safe one,” Hall said.

To report the illegal use of fireworks in Olathe, residents can call 971-6950.

“But if they believe it’s an emergency situation (injury, fire, etc.), they should always call 911,” Hall said.

Other Johnson County cities that prohibit the sale and use of fireworks are Fairway, Gardner, Lake Quivira, Leawood, Merriam, Mission, Mission Hills, Mission Woods, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Spring Hill, Westwood and Westwood Hills.

Edgerton and De Soto permit the sale and use of fireworks following state statute, which allows the sale and use of Class C consumer fireworks except bottle rockets. But the law allows local jurisdictions to enact their own laws.

Both cities, however, restrict when people can use fireworks. Edgerton allows fireworks 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to midnight Friday. De Soto allows the use of fireworks from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 10 a.m. to midnight Friday.

Lenexa bans all aerial and exploding fireworks, but it allows limited use of fireworks such as sparklers and smoke bombs. Shawnee has a similar ordinance, and Johnson County prohibits all fireworks in unincorporated areas of the county unless one obtains a permit.

If residents are going to a place that allows the use of fireworks, they offer these safety tips.

• Always purchase high-quality fireworks from a reliable and legitimate source.

• Never give fireworks to small children.

• Adults should always supervise use of fireworks by older children.

• Always wear eye protection when lighting fireworks.

• Ignite fireworks only outdoors, and make sure the area is safe for the use of fireworks.

• Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a “designated shooter.”

• Always read and follow label instructions.

• Never point or throw fireworks at a person, building or animal.

• Have a source of water handy, in case of fire.

• Never shoot fireworks in a metal or glass container.

• Light only one firework at a time.

• Never attempt to re-light malfunctioning fireworks.

• When lighting fireworks, never position any part of your body over them.

• Never carry fireworks in your pocket.

• Store fireworks in a cool dry place.

• Never experiment with homemade fireworks. They are illegal and dangerous.

• Bottle rocket and other skyrockets that are mounted on a stick or wire are illegal.

• It is illegal to shoot fireworks on or under a vehicle, on any public roadway, within 50 feet of a fireworks stand or where fireworks are stored, gas stations, or anywhere liquid gas, including propane is stored.

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