Showing posts with label Fireworks: 2007 bans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fireworks: 2007 bans. Show all posts

December 29, 2007

So whats wrong with lasers?

IN THE NEWS: THE TOP 10 STORIES OF THE YEAR
http://www.burbankleader.com/articles/2007/12/29/news/blr-top1029.txt
Fireworks canceled, but lasers are in

7 Fire safety concerns sparked the cancellation this year of the city’s traditional Fourth of July fireworks display at the Starlight Bowl.

The decision came after Burbank Fire Department officials assessed moisture levels in the hillside near the bowl, concluding the terrain was far too brittle to conduct a show safely.

The year was plagued by wildfires across Southern California, locally with an outbreak above Barham Boulevard in March, and the Griffith Park fire, which scorched more than 800 acres over a two-day period in May.

According to fire officials, the cancellation was a last resort, and preventative measures, like trimming back brush in the hills or pre-treating the area with fire retardant would not have remedied the situation.

Community response was mixed, with residents both bemoaning the loss of a perennial holiday staple while agreeing that safety was a priority.

Park, Recreation and Community Services officials replaced the fireworks with a patriotic laser light show, which brought out about 2,000 attendees, a significant decline over figures closer to 4,000 in 2006.

In regards to Fourth of July fireworks displays in the future, fire safety officials said that cancellations may become more of the norm than the exception.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




December 13, 2007

Inviting the fox into the hen house

click here to read rest of article

Oh man...we saw this coming. This is really simple for the fireworks peddlers. Just make sure you pack the "citizen task force" with people biased (secretly or not) in your favor. Fortunately here they dont have a majority but that is only members who have announced their biases (and were put forward by the Fireworks industry) This is a loose loose situation. Fireworks companies preach education just like the cigarette companies. LAAG has seen from Fire Department studies that eliminating all fireworks (legal and illegal) has the effect of making enforcement easier and actually decreases the use of illegal fireworks. Anytime the fireworks industry is suggesting that people put their faith in some recently passed legislation (such as senate bill 839) you can be sure that that industry had a lot to do with its crafting via lobbyists and other "persuasive individuals" and methods. Senate bill 839 is worthless and is just another unproven unfunded mandate used as window dressing by the fireworks industry in an attempt to put further pressure on out of state sellers already stealing CA peddlers "safe and sane" business.

New citizen task force focuses on fireworks
By Elaine Larsen EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Article Launched: 12/12/2007 01:13:07 PM PST

Fireworks and Pacifica. Legal and illegal. Just what should the relationship between pyrotechnics and the community be?

That's going to be the fiery question for a newly formed citizen task force recently established by the Pacifica City Council.

Task Force members appointed are Deborah Joves, Dr. Kimberly Conner, Julie Hartsell (who is a PB&R commissioner), Bernie Sifry, Bill Gray (TN football coach), Jeanne Matysiak, Allen Hale and Lionel Emde.

The mission of the task force is to research options for dealing with the ongoing problem of illegal fireworks that violators manage to set off each July 4 holiday under cover of darkness and obscured by the smoke and hubbub of safe and sane or legal fireworks.

It's an explosive problem to be sure -- how to put a cap on illegal bottle rockets and M-80s that cause mayhem in neighborhoods, yet not penalize those who enjoy safe and sane fireworks that are an old-fashioned tradition in Pacifica and fund sports and other programs for thousands of kids.

Police Chief Jim Saunders said he hand-picked a task force that hopefully reflects a full spectrum of interests. "Their purpose is to provide options for council," he said when the matter came before council late last month.

"The
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Task Force's direction is that there is no direction. They need to research and provide options," he said.

The only citizens who spoke were concerned about a brief reference to banning all fireworks in Saunders' staff report. As sports group boosters, they were concerned that would be the ultimate outcome of any task force recommendation.

One speaker said she was concerned the task force was a "back door" way of starting a ban on all fireworks.

TNT Fireworks spokesman Dennis Revell
also voiced a similar concern. He said the city should be focusing on a senate bill, 839, recently signed by the governor, which will throw more manpower and resources toward stopping the suppliers of illegal fireworks from bringing them over the border into California or selling them on the Internet in the first place. He also suggested the public education was another key to helping solve the problem.

Saunders said the council and community should not be fixated on the word "ban" in his staff report, noting that he was simply trying to open the door for full discussion of all options.

"At least three members of the task force were proposed by the fireworks company. We tried to make it a mixed group. Frankly, I'm open to anything. I wanted to leave it as open as possible, not leaning one way or another," Saunders said.

The chief's report also mentioned other options such as limiting the times that fireworks may be ignited or possibly limiting the locations that fireworks can be used in the city.

"This is not a complete list of options but only a few a council left up to the task force to research and provide direction to council," Saunders' staff report reads.

"The idea is not to limit the task force, but a ban is not the direction we're going," said Mayor Pete DeJarnatt.

There was some further discussion among council members about defining the task force's options, including an emphasis on enforcement, but the majority consensus ultimately was to leave all options open for research and discussion.

Chief Saunder said although the task force might well come up with an alternative funding source to replace the sale of safe and sane fireworks -- an "ah-ha" type solution," he also said he understands that a ban on fireworks is clearly not the direction the council is going.

"I'm anticipating there will be nine or ten options, but will make it clear that the council is not interested in a ban so that option better be at the bottom of the list," he said.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




October 3, 2007

The big snow (or fire) job

LAAG feels sorry for the city of Pacifica. If they are anything like Lakewood they don't stand a chance against the "smoke and fire" [our phrase for "safe and sane"] peddlers. The vast PR machine of the fireworks industry has lots of money and people as this is a very profitable industry. Sort of like the pharmaceutical industry lobby. The smoke and fire peddlers basically have taken over the state fire Marshall's office.

Our LAAG site is replete with statistics from the fire dept themselves showing that cities that allow "legal" fireworks have a greater problem with illegal firework damage and likely, illegal use. This is likely due to legal fireworks creating a "permissive" environment for other mayhem and illegal firework use and also creating a one upsmanship situation ("our illegal fireworks are better than your legal ones). The legal fireworks also help to mask illegal use. And of course there is always "illegal" use of "legal" fireworks (ie modifying them so they explode or shoot in the air) This is the way legal fireworks start fires.

The marketing guru for one of the smoke and fire peddlers notes that the problem with firework use has gotten worse in the last 10 years. That is likely due to the fact that sports clubs and fraternal benefit societies have now become addicted to selling smoke and fire and that the problem has become acute in the last 10 years as the fireworks companies see linking with these organizations as a way to entrench themselves and use the clubs fund raising mantra as impenetrable political cover. It really is like getting addicted to selling drugs. The money is great and the clubs are conned into the notion that there is nothing else out there that can compete fundraising wise. These organizations have been drawn into the same trap as the medical marijuana "clinics". Yeah were selling pot to help sick people. Right. Well at least 5% of their customers are sick.

The smoke and fire peddlers have burrowed into Sacramento politics like termites and tried to stir up some watered down increased penalty legislation which again is just political cover. The penalties are not the issue. The cases never get to the penalty stage as enforcement is impossible. Deterrence is based on the likelihood of getting caught and the likelihood of getting convicted. And right now those percentages benefit the offenders due to the nature of the laws and difficulty of enforcement. Law enforcement benefits from all this increased enforcement with hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on overtime. What is so ironic is that the the money spent on over time is likely greater than the small percentage of money the clubs make on the fireworks that cause the overtime. The city would be better off pay the overtime money to the clubs.

Putting a cap on an explosive problem
City seeking strict fireworks sanctions
By Elaine Larsen
http://www.pacificatribune.com/localnews/ci_7073495
Article Launched: 10/03/2007 01:21:20 PM PDT

It's an explosive problem in Pacifica to be sure -- putting a cap on the illegal bottle rockets and M-80s that cause mayhem in neighborhoods, yet not penalize those who enjoy safe and sane fireworks that are a tradition and help fund programs for thousands of kids.

Such has been the conundrum of Pacifica officials for several decades and the issue has been before the community in at least two public votes.

"Pacifica is not alone in this problem," Dennis Revell, president of Revell Communication which represents the safe and sane supplier [what a cute phrase], TNT Fireworks, told the council last month. "This has been a growing problem in communities throughout California for the last 10 years."

But more productive — and perhaps permanent — solutions might well be in the offing.

Senate Bill 839, which is headed to the governor's desk for signature, would throw more manpower and resources [resources is "Sacramento speak" for tax dollars; laag editor] toward stopping suppliers of illegal fireworks from bringing them over the border into California or selling them on the Internet in the first place.

It would also put more teeth in local law enforcement efforts to curtail illegal fireworks, giving them the authority to impose stiffer fines on violators and giving them a way to dispose of the confiscated pyrotechnics safely. [no problem here as the cops can take them home to their kids; laag editor]

And if Pacifica Police Chief Jim Saunders has his way, the San Mateo County District Attorney will declare illegal fireworks a felony. That would mean that violators who insist on shooting off fireworks that have the explosive power of dynamite would not just walk away with a citation as they do now, but face being booked into county jail. [really this is already the law and felony prosecutions will mean even less likelihood of enforcement; laag editor]

These and other potential solutions were tossed around at a recent Pacifica City Council meeting, setting the stage for the council s eventual decision to put together a special task force to further study the problem and make recommendations. [oh and by all means invite the fireworks sellers to propose a "solution" what a joke; laag editor]

"I'm quite concerned about the fourth of July being on a Friday next year," said Saunders, who appeared before council discussing the fireworks once before, a discussion that was publicized in the Tribune.

The matter was postponed for council discussion so all members could be present. Since the local newspaper publicity, Saunders said he heard even more troubling stories from residents.

Saunders official report about this past July 4 described a night of chaos. A night where police were run ragged trying to track down illegal fireworks shooters who took refuge in the cover of darkness, smoke or neighborhood spotters who warned them when cops were on the way. [what did we just say about enforcement?; laag editor] In a few areas it got so bad officers had to be taken off the street to stand watch over unruly neighborhoods where drunk residents got into fights.

"Being on a Friday could be good or bad. People could leave town or even more folks could pile in. We're going to hope for the best and prepare for the worst," Saunders said, nothing the problem doesn't seem to be going away despite years of public education programs. He said added patrols at beaches focused on out-of-town violators seems to have just driven the problem into the neighborhoods.

Which means the enemy is us.

"Pacifica is out of control," agreed Deborah Jones of Montezuma Avenue in Linda Mar, among the citizens who spoke before Council Sept. 10 urging further sanctions be taken. "Many residents are both distraught over the pyrotechnic barrage and resigned that nothing can be done. But we must not allow others to hold us hostage to reckless and unlawful behavior. Other cities have this problem but it is not on the same scale." [wrong; laag editor]

Because Pacifica has such a liberal stance on fireworks, many Pacifica residents think they have implicit permission to shoot off illegal fireworks, she said.

Council listened both to speakers who are unhappy about illegal fireworks and many others who do not want to see "bad apples" force the council ban safe and sane fireworks which, admittedly, funnels thousands of dollars into the coffers of well-deserved youth and booster organizations benefiting literally thousands of children. [ahh the children; hey if they burn their fingers off at least the get new uniforms; laag editor]

To demonstrate just how much money is earned in just one short week of parental involvement in staffing the booths, one fireworks booth representative presented the council with a check for $33,000 to cover the city's police and fire overtime costs for this past July holiday sales. [well not in Lakewood., we'd like to see how long this lasts; conflict of interest? cops making OT of fireworks?; laag editor] That money is collected as the result of an 8 percent surcharge the city imposed on the 15 permitted booths.

Several speakers spoke about the numerous benefits of the safe and sane sales and even pointed out research involving the city of Fremont they say demonstrates that banning them not only had no effect on the illegal fireworks problem, [back that up with statistics please; laag editor] but also meant no fee income to the municipality for dealing with the problem.

"I am confident that if there wasn't so much good that comes of the sale of safe and sane fireworks we wouldn't have them. We're not considering a ban on the legal fireworks at this time," said Councilmember Cal Hinton, himself a former Pacifica fire chief and licensed pyrotechnics expert. [again is this not a conflict?; laag editor]

He and other council members agreed that the real solution to curtailing illegal fireworks is to stop them from being sold in the state in the first place, which would require both state and federal legislative intervention. [heresy; laag editor]

Hinton said he reread the Senate bill several times and believes it has real promise of helping solve the problem. [dream on; facts please? statistics?; laag editor]

"If a person is convicted, the judge cannot impose just probation or suspend a sentence" under terms of the bill, Hinton said. "That means if you're found guilty, you're had. The best way to stop illegal fireworks is at the state level. [with the smoke and fire peddlers army of lobbyist fat chance; laag editor] And we also need the support of the federal government. We need to stop the sales at the source," he said.

Pacifica and San Bruno are the only two remaining cities in San Mateo County that allow the sale of safe and sane fireworks. The California cities of Palmdale and Chino dealt with their problem of illegal fireworks violators by imposing strict fines, up to $10,000.

Other potential solutions that came up were appointing citizen monitors at block parties and letting police into neighbors backyards to help view and single out the offenders who normally hide in the dark away from scrutiny.

Several safe and sane proponents said they'd be more than happy to invite police officers into their homes and backyards to get a better on-view look at violators.

Outspoken Linda Mar resident Deborah Jones, who said flying pyrotechnics shot into her yard narrowly missed her children, said she'd go so far as to videotape violators in her neighborhood, post signs warning people that neighbors were cooperating with the police or form citizen "evidence gathering" coalitions. It was also suggested the city put stricter regulations into block parties, requiring a "monitor" for illegal fireworks who would be held accountable, for example.

"A lot of money may be made, but was is the cost of the loss of an eye or a limb," Jones and others said.

Bernie Sifry suggested a compromise. He suggested the city of Pacifica ban fireworks in residential neighborhoods and confine the use of safe and sane to the city owned portion of Pacifica State Beach in Linda Mar.

He said that way police could control fireworks use and confiscate illegal pyrotechnics.

"How do you control it? Take it out of residential neighborhoods where it's impossible to enforce. [not a bad idea; laag editor] It s dark and officers get fireworks thrown at them. It's a dangerous situation," he said.

"This would mean better control, less litter and noise. And residents could make citizen arrests with officers making out the complaints. This would be a civic duty. Residents would know who the violators were and testify against their neighbors," Sifry said. [that is not going to happen folks; sort of like a do it yourself police force? Then what do we need the cops on OT for?; laag editor]

Lynn Adams, president of the Pacifica Beach Coalition, politely noted that fireworks debris is not healthy for the marine environment. However, even as it stands, legal fireworks are already allowed to be set off at the local state beach. And in fact, although police post officers at all local beaches, Linda Mar is the most preferred so much so it has often been referred to as a "war zone."

Nonprofit groups not only pay the city a surcharge for overtime costs, [Hey Lakewood city council are you reading this?; laag editor] but are also commissioned to provide volunteer cleanup crews the next day, most particularly the popular beach in Linda Mar.

"I want to thank the public for all their suggestions. People are thinking about this and trying to solve this dilemma," said Councilmember Julie Lancelle. "I think we should consider as many of these ideas as possible in some kind of combination so we can begin to work on this problem."

Mayor Pro Tem Jim Vreeland noted that just as community groups came together last year to find an equitable annual distribution of the limited number of permits which was an issue at the time, they are now trying to find a solution to the illegal fireworks problem which he commended.

He suggested that the council set up a task force that include the city's two North County Fire Authority liaisons, Hinton and Sue Digre, as well as citizens to study the potential solutions and make recommendations to the council by Jan. 1 -- a good six months before the next July 4 holiday.

"I'm hoping that the passion we saw here tonight could be channeled into the task force to find solutions. We're certainly starting early enough," Vreeland said.

The council voted unanimously for a future agenda item, perhaps Oct. 10, for formation of a task force. Council also directed staff to write letters of support for increased sanctions for illegal fireworks to state and federal legislators immediately in support of pending legislation, and to send further correspondence later, taking into account the local task force's recommendations.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




September 19, 2007

Seaside CA residents want fireworks ban

Seaside residents split on fireworks ban
Some worry about noise, others about loss of revenue for nonprofits
By ANDRE BRISCOE
Herald Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 09/14/2007 01:40:45 AM PDT
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_6891470?nclick_check=1

Dog owners in Seaside who complain that they have to sedate their pets on the Fourth of July may just have to keep a few bottles of Puppy Prozac handy.

Residents who say their neighborhoods sound like wars zones come Independence Day pleaded with the City Council on Thursday to ban "safe and sane" fireworks.

But a majority of attendees at the special council session expressed support for continuing the traditional fireworks sales, saying a ban on legal fireworks would hurt nonprofits that depend on the revenue generated from the yearly sales.

"I'm not really sure that banning fireworks is going to solve the problem. I think there are a lot of things we need to talk about before we ban fireworks," said Mayor Ralph Rubio. "We need to talk to neighborhoods, we need to talk to businesses. There have got to be ways to keep (safe and sane fireworks) and keep the city safe and keep it clean. Mostly, what we are concerned about are the things that fly and the things that go boom."

Fireworks opponents hoped a ban on legal fireworks would discourage the use of illegal ones.

Nine-year resident Dwight Marshall said the noise was so bad that he had to leave town for at least four days over July 4.

"If we don't do something, it's going to be a more serious problems every year," he said. "You're going to lose people who are going to leave the town of Seaside. It's not just the Fourth of July, but at least a month before and a month after, you've got explosions
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going off all over the place."

The city has allowed the sale of safe and sane fireworks for more than 40 years, and sales are conducted by church organizations and service clubs. Marina, Greenfield, Gonzales and Soledad also allow the sale of the safe and sane fireworks, which don't shoot up in the air or cause explosions.

Mel Mason, former president of the Monterey Peninsula branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said in a statement sent to the council that banning illegal fireworks would not curtail their use.

"The immediate beneficiaries (of safe and sane fireworks) are the many community-based organizations that serve youth," Mason said. "Ultimately, it is our youth who benefit from these yearly sales, through organizations that are generally volunteer-run, without agency type infrastructure, financially beleaguered and always struggling to work miracles without a magic wand."

Most who support a fireworks ban said it is the best way to keep the influx of illegal fireworks out of the city.

"I understand safe and sane fireworks, but I'm talking about pyrotechnics," said five-year resident Murray Macdonald. "The stuff is going off so loud that the foundation of my house shakes. I have to sedate my dog. I would like to see the work of the nonprofits continue, but if the legal fireworks can't be distinguished from the illegal fireworks, there should be a zero-tolerance policy."

La Bridga Adams suggested that a task force be created to search out illegal fireworks so the sale of legal fireworks could continue.

"My concern is that these children who work in this community suffer for something that the bad guys are doing," she said.

City staff members will come back to the council with alternative suggestions to banning legal fireworks at a future meeting.

Andre Briscoe can be reached at 646-4436 or abriscoe@montereyherald.com.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




September 18, 2007

Fundraising Trumps All

These cities will never give into the smoke and fire peddlers and the groups that pander to them. AS LAAG has already demonstrated using LA Co. Fire Dept statistics, legal fireworks increases the use of illegal fireworks. So the issue is simple. Outlaw all personal fireworks and help the booster groups get money some other way as we have outlined over and over again.

Monday, September 17, 2007
Garden Grove to revisit fireworks after tragedy
City Council plans to talk about putting ban on November 2008 ballot.
By DEEPA BHARATH
The Orange County Register

GARDEN GROVE – Joshua Matua had just started to doze off the night of July 4 when a lighted skyrocket landed on his house's shake roof.

It all happened very quickly after that. Black smoke billowed and orange flames shot skyward.

Matua and his friend, who owns the house on Mac Street, were the only ones in the house that night. Matua's girlfriend and 5-month-old son were not there, he said.

The four-bedroom house was a total loss and is uninhabitable. Matua and his family lost all of their possessions and moved to a studio apartment in Westminster.

“It's very hard,” said Matua, 37, manager of a sports bar in Anaheim. “I cry every day partly because of how my life has changed, but also because me and my friends had so many memories in that house.”

The local AARP chapter, which has been vocal in its opposition of fireworks, will host a fundraiser today for Matua and his family at the Community Meeting Center. Garden Grove is one of five Orange County cities that allow state-designated “safe and sane” fireworks during the Independence Day holiday. Proceeds from the White Elephant Sale will go toward helping Matua and his friend rebuild the house and help Matua's family buy everyday items such as clothes to baby necessities.

In the meantime, Garden Grove council members say the July 4 fire has prompted them to reconsider putting a fireworks ban on the November 2008 ballot.

For years, the issue has divided the community into those who want to do away with fireworks altogether and the booster clubs and nonprofits that want to raise money for their respective causes through the sale of fireworks – a big moneymaker for these groups.

Those who support fireworks say problems such as fires and injuries are usually caused by illegal fireworks, not the legal ones they sell at the stands.

A majority of the City Council has always supported keeping fireworks in Garden Grove, although council members this year imposed $1,000 fines on those shooting off illegal fireworks.

Councilman Mark Rosen said the July 4 incident doesn't change his view on fireworks.

“But it's a tremendous tragedy for this family and something that happened as a direct result of fireworks,” he said. “I think the time has come for our residents to have a say on the matter.”

A motion last year by former Councilman Harry Krebs to put the issue on the ballot fizzled.

Sharon Tanihara, a Garden Grove resident and AARP member, said she has been coming to council meetings to protest fireworks for the last four years because she was afraid of people losing their homes or their lives in fireworks-related fires. “Our benefit for the Matua family will hopefully help raise awareness in the community about fireworks and why they should be banned,” she said.

Meanwhile, Matua says it's going to take at least a year to fix up the burned house. Walking through the barely standing structure, Matua sighed as he looked at loose wires hanging from the ceiling, hardwood floors blackened by ash and soot and a murky pool, which had been the site of many a party and barbecue.

“I ran out with the clothes on my back,” he said, glancing at the borrowed shoes he still wears. “All my possessions are gone. But I'm thankful I still have the people I love.”

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




September 5, 2007

Redding CA City Council bans fireworks without a permit

Redding City Council changes fire code

By Record Searchlight staff
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
http://www.redding.com/news/2007/sep/05/redding-city-council-changes-fire-code/

The Redding City Council on Tuesday voted 3-2 to require fire sprinklers in town houses, ban fireworks without a permit and make other changes as part of adopting an updated state fire code.

Council member Patrick Jones voted no because he objected to changes in the fire code appeals process that would grant an appointed board of experts a final say over technical issues. Builders could still appeal to the council on policy fire code issues, under the changes.

Council member Ken Murray wanted to delay voting to give the public more time to discuss the proposed changes.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




August 8, 2007

Way to go Costa Mesa....Deny the voters!

Apparently the Bush administration is rubbing off on the Costa Mesa city council who felt that it was their prerogative to deny the taxpayers their day at the polls. Kind of ironic when what were talking about is Independence Day and the Declaration of Independence

Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Costa Mesa fireworks ban smothered
City Council votes to keep a fireworks ban off of the November 2008 ballot.
By NIYAZ PIRANI
The Orange County Register

COSTA MESA A proposal to have Costa Mesa residents decide on the November 2008 ballot whether the sale of "safe and sane" fireworks should be allowed in the city was extinguished Tuesday in a 3-2 vote.

Councilwoman Linda Dixon put the item on the agenda after hearing residents complain about fireworks at numerous council meetings. She recommended that it was time to give the public a choice in the matter.

"Fireworks are not sane and are not safe," Eastside resident Judy Lindsay said. "I wonder what catastrophic event we're waiting for to realize that we need changes."

Dixon drafted a two-pronged approach that would have the public vote on the sale of fireworks and also place a 2 percent increase on the Costa Mesa transient occupancy tax – a fee charged to people who stay in the city's hotels – as a way of backfilling the income generated by firework sales.

Bill Pfeifer, a Northside resident and pit director for the Newport Harbor High School marching band, said fireworks help fund items including uniforms and instruments.

"Without that money, you can't go to tournaments, you can't compete," he said. "You don't have a band."

Councilwoman Wendy Leece said she wasn't ready to take funding away from youth sports, another beneficiary of the sales, without first finding an alternative means of generating revenue.

Councilman Eric Bever said he was also concerned that a higher tax could send visitors "down the street." He said he didn't want to make decisions regarding the occupancy tax if local businesses had not weighed in.

Leece, Bever and Mayor Allan Mansoor voted the proposal down.

Contact the writer: 714-445-6689 or npirani@ocregister.com

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




August 4, 2007

Costa Mesa CA now in the sights of the fire and smoke peddlers?

I suspect once the firework companies set their sights on Costa Mesa, this ballot measure would go down in flames. Way too much money involved with the smoke and fire peddlers to let another city fall by the wayside. Plus pyromaniacs are big supporters. The fireworks companies like attacking this city by city as they can out spend everyone as their profit margin is incredible for selling a product once a year.

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2007/08/03/politics/dpt-ballot03.prt
Published Thursday, August 2, 2007 10:06 PM PDT
Politics
Two measures requested for ballot
Costa Mesa Councilwoman Linda Dixon proposes having voters decide on fireworks, hotel bed tax issues in February.

By Alicia Robinson

After several election cycles without a local measure on the ballot, Costa Mesa council members next week will consider two requests — the second and third in the last month, after a proposal to ask voters if they want to directly elect their mayor failed to make the ballot on a split City Council vote in July.

Both of the upcoming proposals came from Councilwoman Linda Dixon, and one touches on a long-contentious issue in the city: fireworks.

Dixon asked the council to let city voters decide, possibly in February, whether to ban the "safe and sane" fireworks that are now allowed in Costa Mesa, as well as four other cities in Orange County. She also suggested boosting the hotel bed tax in Costa Mesa by 2%, which is now the lowest in Orange County. Voter approval is required to raise the hotel tax.

On the fireworks issue, Dixon said, "I'm neither for nor against it. I just feel that this is something that people need to voice their opinion on."

The bed tax hike is "not a tax that is placed on residents in Costa Mesa; it's a tax that's placed on visitors in our hotels," she said. The money would go into the city's general fund, but it could be used to put on a fireworks show for the city or to set up a grant program for sports groups that now raise money through fireworks sales, Dixon said.

Costa Mesa isn't alone in eyeing the February ballot. Around Orange County, a total of four jurisdictions — one is Newport Beach — are considering ballot issues for February, and two statewide issues already have qualified.

So why the fuss about February? For one thing, it's the first time the state has had a presidential primary that might have a real impact on whittling the field of Democratic and Republican nominees, UC Irvine political science professor Mark Petracca said.

"California's in play on both sides," he said. "I think that's going to bring people to the polls."

That's one reason why former Costa Mesa Mayor Gary Monahan pushed to get the elected mayor issue on the February ballot, he said. "I think February's going to be an incredible turnout, and the people that turn out are going to be pretty well-informed because they're turning out for a reason — to vote in the presidential primary."

Cost is another factor. It may cost a city roughly $100,000 to get an issue on the February ballot, while it's significantly more to have a separate special election and cheaper to get on the general election ballot in November.

The ballot issue in Newport Beach covers where to build city hall, so "it's good to get the issue settled sooner rather than later, but at the same time you balance it out against the costs of a stand-alone election," said Matt Cunningham, a consultant working on the Newport measure.

Dixon said she'd like to see her issues on the February ballot if they won't cost too much. Monahan said while council members are at it, they might as well throw the mayor issue on the ballot too. He doesn't plan to raise the issue again himself, but he'd like to see someone else bring it back. When Dixon's ballot proposals come up for discussion next week, "A politician that is interested in getting the [elected] mayor on [the ballot] could use that as a bargaining chip," he said.

# ALICIA ROBINSON may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at alicia.robinson@latimes.com.


Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




July 20, 2007

New Mexico Company Fined, Ordered To Stop Selling Illegal Fireworks

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2007
Release #07-249

CPSC Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Scott Wolfson, (301) 504-7051

New Mexico Company Fined, Ordered To Stop Selling Illegal Fireworks
Components

WASHINGTON, D.C. -In the aftermath of the Fourth of July holiday, the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing another
success in its fireworks enforcement program aimed at reducing deaths
and injuries to consumers from illegal fireworks.

At sentencing today, United Nuclear Scientific Supplies LLC, of
Edgewood, N.M., founded and operated by Robert Lazar, was fined $7,500
and received three years probation. The firm violated federal law which
prohibits the sale of chemicals and components used to make illegal
fireworks.

"This court ruling is a victory for consumer safety," said CPSC's Acting
Chairman Nancy Nord. "By shutting down the illegal operations of United
Nuclear and securing a major court victory against Firefox Enterprises
and its owners in May, CPSC is demonstrating our commitment to keeping
illegal fireworks out of the marketplace and preventing serious injuries
to consumers."

U.S. Chief Magistrate Lorenzo F. Garcia of the District of New Mexico
handed down the sentence after United Nuclear pled guilty to three
criminal counts of introducing into interstate commerce and aiding and
abetting the introduction into interstate commerce of banned hazardous
substances. The firm sold the chemicals and components used to make
illegal fireworks, such as M-80's and quarter sticks, which are banned
under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and CPSC regulations.

United Nuclear, its principal, Robert Lazar, and accountant Joy White,
also entered into a consent decree that permanently limits the amount of
future sales of fireworks-related chemicals and prohibits the sale of
any fuses, tubes and end caps. The decree also required destruction of
the firm's remaining inventory of components and specified chemicals.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of
Consumer Litigation and the United States Attorney's Office for the
District of New Mexico.

To see this press release on CPSC's web site, which has a link to the
consent degree (pdf) please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07249.html

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




July 19, 2007

Are Costa Mesa voters smarter than Lakewood voters...likely

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2007/07/19/politics/dpt-pollandscape19.txt

Fireworks on ballot?

Every Fourth of July, a handful of Costa Mesa (CA) residents bring up the nuisance and danger they say are created by fireworks, both the "safe and sane" kind and illegal ones. And inevitably someone brings up a 1990 advisory vote in which city voters opted to ban fireworks. That vote, however, was nonbinding, and apparently a fireworks ban won by such a slim margin that council members didn't take any action.

Now, City Councilwoman Linda Dixon wants to put the issue before voters again. She asked at a Tuesday council meeting to have the council decide at a future meeting whether to place a fireworks initiative on the ballot, possibly for the February presidential primary.

She also suggested the council look at boosting the city's hotel bed tax by 1% and using the proceeds to somehow benefit community youth and sports groups, which raise money by running fireworks stands.


Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




July 18, 2007

Utah bans all fireworks

Oh Yes by all means talk to TNT about fireworks!? What the hell will they say to the Governor? Fireworks dont cause fires, people do...or some such nonsense. Or just to look good he could talk to them and tell them to go peddle their fire in California where the "Governator" did not have the balls to ban fireworks before July 4. Apparently the Utah Governor is more worried about fires than "Arnie", who is only afraid of Democrats. Utah's statehood on July 24 is yet another opportunity for fireworks distributors to cash in on what was not sold on July 4. Sort of a "fire sale" on fireworks.....

Fireworks distributors pan guv's proposed ban
By Dawn House
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Launched: 07/18/2007 12:23:13 AM MDT

A spokesman for one of the nation's largest distributors of fireworks blasted Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. for asking local municipalities to ban fireworks without the governor consulting industry officials.
"We've been a good corporate citizen," said TNT Fireworks spokesman Jerry Farley. "We're extremely disappointed that the governor has chosen not to talk to us."
On Tuesday, Huntsman asked local municipalities to ban personal fireworks in their jurisdictions because of wildland fire dangers. Fireworks already have been banned on all state, federal and unincorporated lands.
Farley said trucks already are loaded at the company warehouse in Salt Lake City in preparation for the July 24th celebration, which rivals the Fourth of July in revenues.
"People have been preparing for the past 11 months for this," he said. "Spaces have been leased, products have been paid for and now there's nothing."
Farley said it will be a gamble if operators and civil organizations pay for fireworks shipments because it is unclear which jurisdictions could ban their use.
Phantom Fireworks, which stocks 20 stores and 40 tents and stands in Utah, could lose as much as 30 percent of revenues from the ban, said account manager Joee Witter.
"Nonprofit organizations also will lose out, too," said Witter. "Selling our fireworks is a big fundraiser for many church and civil groups."
Marsha Gilford, spokeswoman for Smith's Food & Drug, said it's too soon to tell how an emergency declaration by Huntsman could impact the state's largest grocery store chain.
"If the decision is made in the best interest of the community, we're 100 percent behind it," said Gilford. "What we carry is low-key. We're not concerned about the loss of sales."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tinder dry conditions
Emergency declaration: Governor asks cities, counties to ban personal fireworks

By Cathy McKitrick
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Launched:07/18/2007 12:23:20 AM MDT
It's July in Utah - a time when it's not uncommon to hear whizzes, pops or loud bangs once darkness has fallen.
However, that kind of fireworks action could be outlawed less than a week before the Days of '47 celebrations on July 24. It depends on how individual towns and cities respond to a request by Utah's top official.
On Tuesday - spurred by the state's tinderbox conditions - Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. issued an emergency declaration asking local officials to ban personal fireworks within their jurisdictions.
"There isn't much we can do about the unpredictability of Mother Nature, which is the cause of many fires," Huntsman said in Tuesday's news release. "There is something, however, we all can do about human ignition of fires, which this year has been very costly."
This year's fire season officially began Monday - but more than 600,000 wildland acres have already been ravaged by fire this summer.
"We've had an insane number of fires already - more than 400 in the state," said the governor's spokeswoman, Lisa Roskelley. "Millions of dollars have already been spent fighting them."
East-side Holladay, positioned near the mountains and full of wooded lots, responded quickly Tuesday afternoon. City Manager Randy Fitts signed an executive order banning residential fireworks.
Then Draper's City Council, in an early evening meeting, voted 4-0 to ban the incendiaries.
"I agree with the governor. It's just too dry out there," Fitts said. Holladay's ban kicks in Friday.
But in Sandy, officials questioned whether they had the authority to ban personal fireworks.
"We tried it years ago," said Mayor Tom Dolan. "The Legislature said we cannot ban fireworks."
City Attorney Walter Miller agreed, noting state law requires that firework sales be allowed around certain holidays.
Some fireworks consumers responded with resentment to the governor's action.
Susannah Barnes, 28, standing near a fireworks display in a Salt Lake City supermarket, said the ban would be unfair.
"If [Huntsman] plans to ban personal fireworks, he has to ban them all," Barnes said, referring to the numerous professional displays planned throughout the state on July 24.
Stray fireworks at such shows also could cause fires, so they are just as dangerous, she said. Besides, fireworks are fun; they're festive, and children love them.
Johnathan Nielsen and his wife, Taren, said parents - not the governor - should decide whether they can buy fireworks.
Taylorsville Mayor Russ Wall announced, via e-mail, his city will not be passing a ban.
The city, he explained, is not adjacent to any open lands that could be threatened by personal fireworks.
And one eastern Utah city, Roosevelt, indicated it may follow suit.
"There's not much chance for a wildfire within city boundaries, so I don't think we'll put a squelch on fireworks," said Mayor Russell Cowan. "But I think the governor is doing the right thing. In the more rural areas it's a big concern."
Meanwhile, Salt Lake City executives were unsure Tuesday whether implementing a municipal ban could be as simple as issuing an executive order.
Perhaps the issue should go before the City Council, suggested Patrick Thronson, spokesman for Mayor Rocky Anderson.
Such restrictions already are in place for state and federal lands - the governor issued that order July 2.
State Fire Marshall Dick Buehler concurs with Huntsman's statewide request.
"We're in one of the worst seasons I've seen in 34 years," Buehler said. "We've lost five civilian lives this year, and that's unprecedented."
In Sandy, where a number of east-bench homes cannot be served by fire trucks, City Council Chairman Bryant Anderson said his colleagues would consider a ban.
"We'd have to have some discussion. It makes sense to me, in a dry year like this, perhaps we could do without [personal fireworks]."
West Valley City Mayor Dennis Nordfelt said the governor's request "carries a lot of weight."
"A total ban would actually be easier to enforce than the laws we have now that allow some [fireworks] and not others."
Nordfelt's City Council considered passing a ban Tuesday night, but then declined to vote, citing a lack of time to study the issue, said city spokesman Aaron Crim.
Eagle Mountain already planned on a ban, according to its spokeswoman, Linda Peterson.
Lehi City Administrator Jamie Davidson said his Utah County community shares Huntsman's concerns. However, Lehi's next regularly scheduled council meeting is in August, well after July's Pioneer Day celebration winds down.
Cottonwood Heights Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore said he sees merit - and complications - in the request.
"It would be very awkward to do, given all the fireworks stands that are up," Cullimore said. "There are probably some equity issues associated with having licensed those.
"I will certainly talk to the council."
Salt Lake County Councilman Jeff Allen supports such restrictions in the foothills, but wonders if a countywide ban is going too far. But Councilman Jim Bradley disagrees.
"I think it's for the best," Bradley said.
cmckitrick@sltrib.com
---
* CHRISTOPHER SMART, STEVE GEHRKE, ROSEMARY WINTERS, DEREK P. JENSEN, JEREMIAH STETTLER, OLGA MU OZ AND DONALD W. MEYERS contributed to this report.

Reaction so far

Responses from several areas contacted about the governor's request to ban private fireworks:
* AGREE: Draper, Eagle Mountain and Holladay
* LIKELY TO CONSIDER: Sandy, West Valley City, Herriman, Cottonwood Heights, Orem and Park City
* UNLIKELY TO AGREE: Roosevelt
State Fire Marshall concurs with Huntsman's statewide request.

Lakewood Accountability Action Group™ LAAG | www.LAAG.us | Lakewood, CA
A California Non Profit Association | Demanding action and accountability from local government™




July 10, 2007

Bakersfield ban on fireworks back in discussion

http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=87b02321-3cb1-44a2-863d-e8186c9eeef7

Last Update: Jul 10, 2007 11:15 AM

BAKERSFIELD - Fire investigators are still looking into whether some small fires on the Fourth of July were started by fireworks.

That, coupled with injuries suffered yearly, has reignited the debate on whether fireworks should be banned in Bakersfield.

You may remember a few years ago, Bakersfield Fire Chief Ron Fraze proposed to ban the sale of fireworks in the city, but it wasn’t well received.

The chief said he still supports the ban, but doesn’t plan to push for it again.

Fire and police officials arrested dozens of people and confiscated half-a-ton of illegal fireworks this year, but it’s not just illegal fireworks that caused problems.

Since Fraze pushed the ban, changes have been made, including the ban of Piccolo Petes and ground bloom flowers in the city.

Some believe more needs to be done.

Others argue we shouldn’t be punished for the actions of others, and non-profits benefit greatly from the sale of fireworks.

"There's a lot of folks that would like to see something happen when you look at the air quality, you look at the problems that we have with the SPCA and the animals every year, the injuries, the fires," Fraze said.

"People get hurt. There are accidents that happen even with the Safe and Sane fireworks,” said Knights of Columbus member David Verrell, “but I don't think the number of people that are injured in Bakersfield or in Kern County are in a great enough proportion that we should ban them altogether."

Fraze said it will likely take a grassroots group to push for a ban, and maybe even get it on a future ballot.




July 3, 2007

Communities nix fireworks on 4th

DROUGHT PERSISTS IN WEST AND SOUTHEAST
A laser light show will replace traditional July Fourth fireworks in Burbank, Calif. Woodstock, Ga., canceled its fireworks and plans to shoot them off on Halloween.

Dozens of communities in drought-stricken areas are scrapping public fireworks displays and cracking down on backyard pyrotechnics to reduce the risk of fires.

"From a fire standpoint and a safety standpoint, it was an easy call," Burbank Fire Chief Tracy Pansini says. He recommended calling off fireworks at the Starlight Bowl because they're launched from a mountainside covered with vegetation that's "all dead."

It's the only time Burbank's fireworks have been canceled since they were first held at the amphitheater in 1994. "Ticket sales are pretty slow" for the night's events, says city recreation supervisor Cathryn Villalobos. "People are saying, 'If you're not having fireworks, we're not coming.' " Elsewhere:

• Alabaster, Ala., canceled its public fireworks and Fire Chief Frank Matherson might propose at a City Council meeting Monday that all fireworks be prohibited.

"Most people will comply because they see how dry it is," he says. Water restrictions, including a ban on watering lawns, make fireworks even more risky, he says.

• A 120-day ban on fireworks in Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest took effect Tuesday, says fire management officer Mitch Gandy. The 700,000-acre forest is popular with families with their own fireworks. It's the first ban since 1999.

"We've had 70 fires so far this year," Gandy says. "Fireworks land in the leaves and set fires, which is potentially very dangerous." The fine for possessing or igniting fireworks: $75.

• In Madison, Ala., public fireworks were canceled so firefighters can focus on possible fires from illegal but rampant private fireworks. "We're worried about tying up the manpower because we're afraid we'll be busy elsewhere," Fire Chief Ralph Cobb says.

• The July Fourth parade and festival are still on in Woodstock, but residents worried about dry conditions wrote to the city recommending that the fireworks be postponed, says city community affairs director Donna Godfrey.

There have been a record number of fire danger warnings this year, Fire Marshal Dave Soumas says. The official fireworks always cause "little spot fires" that people don't see, he says. "Imagine how dry it is, and maybe we can't keep those contained."

His advice to anyone planning fireworks: "Have adult supervision and a hose or fire extinguisher in the area."






July 1, 2007

Pressure in Napa Valley CA to ban fireworks

Well maybe the direst season in 130 years in LA County will cause more people to come to their senses...naaaa...we need the fund raising. To hell with the fire danger....

One fire only costs anywhere from 200,000 to a couple million to put out. No big deal. At least little Johnny will have a new baseball uniform purchased with fireworks cash. This sounds like a story line for a Simpson's episode.

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2007/06/28/news/local/doc4684722f5e580548194833.txt

St. Helena fire chief wants ban on fireworks sales
By MARSHA DORGAN
Register Staff Writer
Thursday, June 28, 2007

St. Helena Fire Chief Kevin Twohey is not a happy man. The Upvalley city is only place in Napa County were people can buy and shoot off fireworks.

Every other square inch of the county is off limits for fireworks, even if they are purchased in St. Helena.

Although the St. Helena City Council has approved the sales of fireworks by the American Legion and Lions Club, saying it is their biggest fundraiser, Twohey calls it “ludicrous to be selling fireworks in the midst of fire season.”

“The City Council says the money the nonprofits make from fireworks sales goes back to the community. But there are other ways — safe ways — to raise money,” Twohey said. “I have nothing against fireworks. But let’s sell them in January when we are not in fire season. And if you have your heart set on fireworks for the Fourth of July, go to one of the many sanctioned fireworks shows in the county.”

Dave Curtin, commander of the St. Helena American Legion Post, has been selling fireworks for the past 45-50 years and in the 26 years that he personally has been involved in selling the fireworks; he “has never experienced one problem or difficulty.”

“I am doing what the City Council wants,” said Twohey. “They made the decision, but I am not happy about it. I’m the fire chief, and I know it only takes an instant for a person to lose their home or life or be seriously injured from fireworks. I’ll guarantee you that the other fire chiefs in the county are not happy my city is selling fireworks.

Twohey said one of the public’s biggest misconceptions is that as long as you buy the fireworks in St. Helena, you can shoot them off anywhere in the county.

“No, no, no only within the city limits of St. Helena,” he said.

There are two fireworks stands in St. Helena that are operated by the nonprofit groups. Both are on Highway 29, one by the high school and the other by Taylor’s Refresher. Each booth has a map posted showing the area where the fireworks can be ignited. Each person who buys fireworks is given a brochure — in English and Spanish — containing the information where the fireworks can be shot off.

Safe and sane fireworks are those that don’t shoot up in the air or explode. “We encourage everyone to read the brochures on the proper usage of the fireworks,” Curtin said.

Napa Fire Capt. Sharon Quick said the city’s public safety has taken a “no tolerance” approach to shooting off fireworks within the city limits.

“Anyone we find shooting off fireworks in the city limits will be issued a citation, which can cost them anywhere from $100 to $500. No one gets a break. We will confiscate the fireworks as well,” Quick said.

Quick said, firefighters will be working with police officers patrolling the city, zeroing in on the urban areas, such as Westwood and Alston parks.

“No one gets a break this year. The fire conditions are far too dry. If someone starts a fire using fireworks, they can be arrested and held accountable for suppression costs as well,” Quick said.

The city fire station will also have an extra engine company on duty on the Fourth for emergency response, said Napa Fire Capt. Scott Sedgley.

Sedgley warned of the dangers of fireworks.

“Even safe and sane fireworks can be dangerous. A number of years ago, several students were severely burned when a bag of safe and sane fireworks they had inside their car ignited,” Sedgley said. “Even sparklers generate enough excessive heat which can cause serious burns.”

Napa Police Cmdr. Jeff Troendly said the department is gearing up for the anticipated large crowd expected to participate in the Fourth of July downtown festivities.

“We are expecting about 15,000 people. We will have extra patrols on duty that night. They will be in patrol cars, on foot and on motorcycles. We are not going to tolerate anyone using fireworks. They will be cited and depending on what type of fireworks they have, they could be arrested and taken to jail,” Troendly said.

David Stoneberg of the St. Helena Star contributed to this story.




June 27, 2007

OC firework bans

Q. How do I find out if fireworks are banned in my city?

A. Currently, the only Orange County cities that allow the sale and use of fireworks are Santa Ana, Stanton, Costa Mesa, Garden Grove and Buena Park, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Stephen Miller.

"Most cities have banned them due to injuries and mayhem it causes," Miller said.

You can only sell, use and be in possession of fireworks inside those cities. It's illegal to take fireworks outside the designated areas in the county even if you don't use them.

Also, it may be a good idea to find out what city you really live in, Miller said. For example, if you live in the North Tustin area, you may have a mailing address of Santa Ana but actually live in an unincorporated part of the county. So you could be fined if caught in possession of fireworks because you live outside the city proper, Miller said.

Miller encourages people to attend firework displays instead. You can find your nearest display at www.ocfa.org or call 714-573-6225. To report illegal fireworks, call 714-538-3501.




Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks press release

Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks
a group of 22 health and safety organizations, coordinated by NFPA, that urges the public to avoid the use of any form of consumer fireworks and instead, to enjoy displays of fireworks conducted by trained professionals.


Consumer fireworks risks exposed by leading health and safety advocates

Washington, D.C., June 22, 2006 – Each July Fourth, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. Despite the dangers of fireworks, few people understand the associated risks. To prevent future tragedies, a group of 21 health and safety organizations – the Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks – urged the public, at a press conference today in Washington D.C., to avoid any use of consumer fireworks, including sparklers, as this year’s Independence Day celebrations get underway. (See a slideshow of images from the press conference )

“Every year nearly 10,000 people have to go to emergency rooms because of fireworks injuries,” said James M. Shannon, president and CEO of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), who along with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), founded the alliance four years ago. “Consumer fireworks hurt thousands of people and if we continue to use them, we are simply continuing a holiday tradition of causing serious injuries. We cannot keep putting these dangerous devices in the hands of our children.”

In 2004, sparklers, fountains, and novelties accounted for 40 percent of all emergency room fireworks injuries. And, the damage from fireworks goes beyond injuries. In a typical year, during the Independence Day holiday, fireworks cause more fires in the U.S. than all other causes of fire combined.

Also speaking at the event were Ed Altizer, Virginia State Fire Marshal representing the International Fire Marshals Association, Dr. Mary Pat McKay, from George Washington University Medical Center and Dr. Stephen Baker, a plastic surgeon Georgetown University Hospital.

As a part of the group’s efforts, NFPA released a detailed report outlining consumer fireworks’ destruction across the U.S.

Injuries: In 2004, five out of six (85 percent) of the 9,600 fireworks injuries reported to emergency departments involved fireworks that federal regulations permit consumers to use. Total injuries were up from 9,300 in 2003. More than two-fifths (42 percent) of the 2004 fireworks injuries in emergency rooms were to the head, and more than half (53 percent) were to the extremities. About 21 percent of injuries involved the eyes. Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of all injuries were burns.

As in most years, the majority of victims of fireworks injuries in 2004 were under age 20. The highest injury rates were for children aged five to nine, only slightly higher than the rates for children aged 10 to 14 and individuals aged 15 to 19. The rates for children age four and younger and for young adults aged 20 to 24 were 50 percent higher than the average rate for all ages. Males accounted for three-fourths (75 percent) of all reported fireworks injuries.

Fires: In 2003, the latest year for which national fireworks-related fire statistics are available, fire departments responded to an estimated 2,300 structure and vehicle fires started by fireworks.

Each year, most fireworks-related fires begin in outdoor brush or refuse, but most of the loss occurs in fires with structures involved. These fires can start with outdoor use of fireworks, as when a bottle rocket, launched outside, lands on a roof or other location not easily accessed, where it ignites combustibles before anyone can retrieve it.

Fires started by fireworks caused $58 million in property damage to structures and vehicles in 2003.

Laws: There are currently only five states that ban all consumer fireworks. They are: Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.

Because of the dangers of fireworks, members of the Alliance are urging Americans to attend professional fireworks displays this July Fourth season. The Alliance includes NFPA, and the AAP, along with the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Association for Hand Surgery, American Association of Public Health Physicians, American Burn Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Emergency Nurses Association, Fire Department Safety Officers Association, International Association of Arson Investigators, International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Fire Fighters, International Fire Marshals Association, Metropolitan Fire Chiefs, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of School Nurses, National Association of State Fire Marshals, National Volunteer Fire Council, Prevent Blindness America.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

2006 Fireworks Annual Report

CPSC Warns of Deadly Dangers When Consumers Use Illegal Fireworks




June 23, 2007

Cops Bust Illegal Fireworks Seller -- Online

Hopefully the LA County Sheriffs are getting some ideas from this...are you listening LASD?

Written for the web by Cornell Barnard, Reporter
http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=29508

Detectives from the Alameda County Sheriff's Department just made a large bust of illegal fireworks -- without even leaving their office.

On a tip, detectives found a Craigslist posting for illegal fireworks for sale. Undercover officers quickly agreed to meet the seller to buy more than $1,500 dollars worth of illegal fireworks.

Sporting names like the "Bay City Blaster" and "Thunder Bomb," some of the fireworks were actually closer to mortars, capable of severely injuring people.

Joel Otsuka of Union City was arrested after much of the fireworks stash was found at his home.

"He gave us a menu. We could get anything through him," Alameda County Sheriffs Sgt. J.D. Nelson said.

Stockton firefighters say all they need is a tip to investigate where illegal are being sold.

"It's a priority for us since all fireworks were outlawed in Stockton this year," said Fire Captain Jim Miller. "They're called safe and sane, but they're only as sane as the hands they're in."




June 19, 2007

Redwood City's ban on fireworks still stands

REDWOOD CITY: PUBLIC CAUTIONED ABOUT FIREWORKS BAN
06/18/07 8:10 PDT
http://cbs5.com/localwire/localfsnews/bcn/2007/06/18/n/HeadlineNews/FIREWORKS-BAN/resources_bcn_html
REDWOOD CITY (BCN)

Redwood City's ban on fireworks still stands, fire officials announced today in anticipation of the upcoming Independence Day celebrations.

The city's Uniform Fire Code prohibits any type of fireworks within city limits, the only exception being professional fireworks shows such as the one at the Port of Redwood City, according to Redwood City Fire Marshal Louis Vella.

Anyone found in possession of fireworks by police will receive a citation and the fireworks will be confiscated, Vella said. Fireworks obtained in other areas may not be brought in to or used in Redwood City, he added.

"The City's goal is for the community to have a safe, fun 4th of July holiday, and to prevent fire or injury incidents related to fireworks," Vella said.

Thousands of fires and injuries caused by fireworks are reported throughout the United States each year, according to Vella.




Fireworks banned in El Dorado and Amador counties CA

Burning limited in two counties

Published 12:00 am PDT Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B2
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/229689.html

CAMINO CA -- Burning permits were suspended as of Monday in areas of El Dorado and Amador counties under the jurisdiction of Cal Fire.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced that campfires will be allowed in designated campgrounds with permission of the agency overseeing the site. People with questions about the restrictions should contact an area Cal Fire facility.

The burn suspension does not apply to the portion of El Dorado County within the Lake Tahoe basin. For information about burning in that area, call the U.S. Forest Service Tahoe Basin Management Unit at (530) 543-2600.

Cal Fire officials also noted that the sale and discharge of all fireworks, including the "safe and sane" variety, are prohibited throughout El Dorado County and in most areas of Amador County.

-- Cathy Locke




Jakes Fireworks Inc. Recalls Fireworks Sold by World Class Distributors

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2007
Release #07-216

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 766-1277
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Jakes Fireworks Inc. Recalls Fireworks Sold by World Class Distributors
Due to Burn and Injury Hazards


WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary
recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using
recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: March or Die Mine/Shell Fireworks Devices

Units: About 4,000

Distributor: Jakes Fireworks Inc., of Pittsburg, Kas.

Hazard: The tubes on these fireworks devices could become loose, making
the devices unstable during use. If the device tips over during use, it
could pose burn and injury hazards to bystanders.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recalled fireworks are a 500 gram mine/shell device
that consists of nine, 3-inch tubes with a single fuse for ignition. The
device measures 16"x16"x13" and its packaging is a dark blue cardboard
label with the words "March or Die" printed in red.

Sold by: World Class Distributors nationwide from April 2006 through May
2006 for $40.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the product and contact
Jakes Fireworks for a replacement product.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Jakes Fireworks at
(800) 766-1277 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or
visit the company's Web site at www.jakesfireworks.com

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the
recalled product, please go to:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07216.html