Fireworks Ban

[Drac]

Does your state forbid the use of fireworks by private citizens? Ohio has one and guess what 99% of the calls are? Fireworks complaints..Its really funny because soon some of the local states that sell fireworks will start their yearly major advertizing campaign to intice residents of Ohio and other states to make the journey and stock up, all ya gotta do is sign a piece of paper saying you wont blow them off in states that forbid their use..So what's your opinion?

 

[Drac]

FYI..If one of your neighbours calls us and we respond to your residence and advise you to stop, PLEASE STOP..That means for the rest of the evening, not until you see my cruiser leave your street..I usually warn the homeowner and leave, BUT radio dispatch is aware of the call and my response and has entered it into the CAD (Computer Assisted Dispatch)..

If officers have to respond again they are aware that you have been warned earlier and can confiscate the fireworks and cite the homeowner..It happened here last year, I warned them and about 3 hrs (after I went off duty) later they started up again and the officers responed and confiscate over $ 500.00 worth of fireworks..

Yes, its a BS law, but it is THE LAW..

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

I think morons and fireworks should be banned.

But for Adults who are careful and use caution I think it is a fine way to celebrate it is traditional on 4th of July.

If your state bans it well I guess you have to follow the law or pay the consquences.

My father who worked for fire rescue use to tell me all sorts of horror stories involving fireworks most of the time it was stupidity or some sort of impairment causing substance.

 

[terryl965]

I love fireworks but this country has to many stupid people that do not know any better.

 

[MA-Caver]

Where I live right now (TN) you can buy semi-professional air burst type of fireworks displays. Some are quite nice and just as powerful (read: dangerous) as those used by professional displays. I'm sure fire stations throughout the county and surrounding counties are on high alert during the 3-4-& 5th of July as there are morons out there who fire off these things too closely to theirs or their neighbor's house and the hot pyrotechnics fall on the roof and there goes the house. Not to mention the surrounding forests... the canopy is quite green but the undergrowth is littered with dry leaves...
It's hard to say if eventually they'll have a nation wide ban of total public use of fireworks... in a lot of cases it makes sense because (again) there are morons out there.
When I lived in Utah the biggest problem was idiots going up in to the mountains and shooting off fireworks and then starting forest fires that burn off hundreds of acres of the mountain sides.

Used to be okay to buy a huge display of fireworks and shoot them off basically at anytime. But over time people have gotten more careless or more stupid and restrictions were put in place for "our protection".

 

[jks9199]

In Virginia, anything that flies into the air or explodes is generally illegal. An exception exists if you obtain the appropriate permits through the fire marshal's office.

Overall -- I think it's a good idea. There are too many idiots who don't consider their surroundings and safety, would burn down the community to have their fun...

 

[CoryKS]

Banned in our area a few years ago, which sucks. To be fair, though, they only banned them after the umpteenth apartment complex was burned down. Can't say they didn't have a valid reason.

Used to live in an apartment with lots of wood - wood balconies, wood shingles, etc. So you can imagine my horror when I came home one night to find the neighbors on the second floor balcony next to us sitting out with a roaring Weber grill shooting crackers and bottle rockets off the balcony. Didn't sleep very soundly that night.

 

[celtic_crippler]

Recently smokers and sparklers were legalized in GA, but it doesn't matter because our border states (SC, AL, FL) all sell the good stuff and all have stores right at the border.

I make an annual trip to AL (will be doing so this year next Thursday) to stock up on quality explosives.

I've never had the police show up to any of my parties, and the neighbors actually appreciate the show.

I do believe that one should be at least 18 to purchase, but being a Libertarian feel that if you blow yourself up because of stupidity...it's just thinning the heard. lol

 

[Bob Hubbard]

When did Ohio pass the law? When I lived in Parma, you could buy them at KMart.

In WNY, it's been illegal as long as I can remember....7/4 it's like a war zone out there, and the week leading up to it too.

 

[jim777]

They're illegal in Jersey, but I would probably make a trip and get a few smallish aerial mortars if I knew where to get them. As has been mentioned, fireworks do seem to be disproportionately in the hands of idiots.

 

[girlbug2]

Fireworks are illegal in my county. It's treated as a joke by nearly everyone, we just go to a neighboring county and stock up.

IMO the laws against fireworks have prevented many injuries if not lost lives...of really stupid people, or of kids whose parents that aren't paying attention. But as I don't count myself or my dh in either category, it sucks to be deprived every year. I can remember the awesome fireworks my family enjoyed as a kid in our driveway, and running around with REAL sparklers, not the pathetic things kids have to make do with nowadays (seriously, they don't work--there are no such things as quality sparklers anymore).

Thank goodness at least there's a free public fireworks display at the High School next door every year. We will probably sit on the roof and enjoy

 

[MA-Caver]

They're illegal in Jersey, but I would probably make a trip and get a few smallish aerial mortars if I knew where to get them. As has been mentioned, fireworks do seem to be disproportionately in the hands of idiots.

I'm curious about something... after you get the aerial mortars do you drive down to the shore and launch them out to sea? One would think this would be the safest things to do.

 

[MA-Caver]

Well... this dumbass isn't going to help matters in terms of firework safety...

http://www.biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=14407

WHAT were they THINKING??

 

[Ken Morgan]

Here in Ontario fireworks are legal, firecrackers are illegal.

Always been popular to bring firecrackers up here after a trip down to the States.

You can only buy them, I believe, ten days before an event like Victoria day or Canada day.

If fireworks are not legal, what about model rocketery? No pun intended, but it's a blast to screw around with.

 

[CuongNhuka]

In my area (not sure if it's State or Local) you're only allowed to set off fireworks the 3-5 of July (I'm geussing that's the norm), but there are a few exceptions (events, or anytime you get a waver from the authorities). And there are also bans on certain fireworks (mostly homemade, altered, very large artillery shells, and anything with power greater then a 1/2 stick of dynamite).

On a related note to some of the above posts -- my neighbor every year goes to (I'm geussing) Missouri (God how I hate that State) and buy a bunch of fireworks that are very illegal here. For example, those really nice mortars that they set off at pro-baseball games, which are unbeleivably illegal here. Not only that, last year they almost caught there house on fire becuase they were stupid enough to fire it off a stick, and they were unlucky enough to a faulty one. It didn't go up at all, just exploded out in every direction. It gave there kid (17 at the time) a nice couple burns on his calves, and nearly caught there house on fire. This is not the first time these morons did this -- I look forward to this happening again this coming fireworks season.

They started to put up fireworks stands some time last week. There's about 3 in a 5 minute drive from house.

 

[Drac]

When did Ohio pass the law? When I lived in Parma, you could buy them at KMart.

In WNY, it's been illegal as long as I can remember....7/4 it's like a war zone out there, and the week leading up to it too.

You could buy them ANYWHERE, ya just couldnt shoot them off..

 

[Drac]

The common theme in the previous threads is "In the hands of morons"..Since they don't require an intellegent test prior to purchase I guess it will never be lifted..Then of course you get the moron that has no fireworks and decides to get in the spirit and let off a dozen or so rounds from whatever fireams he/she owns...

 

[Jade Tigress]

My father who worked for fire rescue use to tell me all sorts of horror stories involving fireworks most of the time it was stupidity or some sort of impairment causing substance.

They are illegal for private citizens here in Illinois, have been for years. But they are easy enough to get if you cross the state line, one of my neighbors does it every year.

I do have a horror story, this happened to a friend here while we were living in Tennessee. A very, very close friend of ours obtained some illegal fireworks for the 4th. He had his best friend over and they were shooting them off.

Our friend tossed an M80 type explosive to the end of his driveway. He *H* and friend *J* waited and waited. Nothing.

*J* started walking toward the end of the driveway. *H* said wait. *J* kept going. He went to pick it up and it exploded blowing off his head and killing him instantly. Our poor friend *H* was horrified. He just witnessed his best friend get killed in his driveway with his fireworks.

Needless to say, aside from the legal prosecution, he was also sued by his friends family, and lost. A real tragedy and just not worth it.

 

[MA-Caver]

They are illegal for private citizens here in Illinois, have been for years. But they are easy enough to get if you cross the state line, one of my neighbors does it every year.

I do have a horror story, this happened to a friend here while we were living in Tennessee. A very, very close friend of ours obtained some illegal fireworks for the 4th. He had his best friend over and they were shooting them off.

Our friend tossed an M80 type explosive to the end of his driveway. He *H* and friend *J* waited and waited. Nothing.

*J* started walking toward the end of the driveway. *H* said wait. *J* kept going. He went to pick it up and it exploded blowing off his head and killing him instantly. Our poor friend *H* was horrified. He just witnessed his best friend get killed in his driveway with his fireworks.

Needless to say, aside from the legal prosecution, he was also sued by his friends family, and lost. A real tragedy and just not worth it.

No less horrifying for the EMS who arrived on the scene.
If it was an illegally made M-80 then I can see how that would've been powerful enough to do that kind of damage to someone. Properly manufactured M-80's have been known to blow off fingers and cause massive tissue damage to the hand holding it but never completely blow it off.. unless they had it in a "death-grip" thereby concentrating the explosive effect.
I remember cherry bombs (now nigh impossible to find) being those super loud fun things and the real M-80's where they go off and you can feel a concussion wave from the blast... loads of fun ... if done right.
It's those idjits who don't do it right that causes these bans.
Sad.

 

[Jade Tigress]

No less horrifying for the EMS who arrived on the scene.
If it was an illegally made M-80 then I can see how that would've been powerful enough to do that kind of damage to someone. Properly manufactured M-80's have been known to blow off fingers and cause massive tissue damage to the hand holding it but never completely blow it off.. unless they had it in a "death-grip" thereby concentrating the explosive effect.
I remember cherry bombs (now nigh impossible to find) being those super loud fun things and the real M-80's where they go off and you can feel a concussion wave from the blast... loads of fun ... if done right.
It's those idjits who don't do it right that causes these bans.
Sad.

It was an M-80 *type*. I'm not exactly sure what, but it was purchased legally over the state line. In any case, it's terrible.

I remember cherry bombs too, and sparklers, and smoke bombs. The neighbor here gets regular rockets. Even if you do it *right* accidents can happen.