Is Your Fireworks Safety Plan in Place?

By Chief Dennis Compton
June 2004

With national patriotism surging, expect to see more private citizens using fireworks in your community this Independence Day – whether or not they are legal.

Internet sales and border sales within a short drive effectively undermine local fireworks laws. Only seven states ban all consumer fireworks*. Regardless of your local fireworks laws, it is essential to be ready with a fireworks safety plan before the holiday.

Each year, fireworks take a serious toll on America, causing structure and Wildland interface fires that result in property loss as well as personal injury. Amateur use of fireworks can be devastating, leaving life-long scarring and disability, and not just to the users. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in 2003 an estimated 9,700 people were treated in hospital ERs for injuries associated with fireworks. More than half the injuries were burns and most involved the hands, eyes and head. About 50% of the victims were under age 15.

To the untrained citizen fireworks can seem like a low risk. Only that lack of understanding could explain why parents would hand a toddler a sparkler – a device that burns as hot as 2000F, higher than the temperature needed to melt gold.

Fireworks are not toys; they are pyrotechnic devices, which are designed to reach high temperatures, burn, sizzle, spark, explode and/or launch. Their nature and unpredictability can lead to a fire or a permanent and disabling injury in the blink of an eye.

Dr. Gary Smith, Director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Columbus Children’s Research Institute in Ohio, undertook a 22-year study of fireworks injuries treated in the ER**. What he learned may surprise you and can help you with your own fireworks safety program. Here’s a sampling:

• 95% of the patients studied were injured during the three-week period June 22-July 14
• 70% of the patients were male
• Adult supervision was present in 54% of the cases
• The eyes were injured in 29% of the cases
• The average age of the injured patient was 8.5 years
• The injured child was a bystander in 26% of the cases
• 67% of sparkler-related injuries occurred among children 5 years and younger

Although many states permit fireworks use by consumers, in my view there is no “safe use” of fireworks by amateurs. Only trained and experienced experts should use or transport fireworks.

Local Action Item

Make your fireworks safety program as comprehensive as possible. Hold a press conference to demonstrate the dangers of non-professional fireworks. Team up with law enforcement agencies to present information about local fireworks laws and violation penalties. Involve victims of fireworks injuries and local medical professionals who can talk about the dangers associated with using fireworks. Bring in the trained experts who will be performing local pyrotechnic displays.

Read the U.S. CPSC 2004 list of state fireworks regulations

*Smith, G.A., PEDIATRICS, Vol. 98, Issue 1, pp. 1-9, 7/1/96

Chief Dennis Compton
A 34-year veteran of the fire service, Dennis Compton was the Fire Chief in Mesa, AZ and Assistant Fire Chief in Phoenix, AZ. He now serves as an Executive Advisor within many fire service organizations, and is a leading author of books and training manuals. Chief Compton is recognized as a national expert on emergency response and public safety, and he serves on the Home Safety Council Board of Directors. Compton is also active with the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) and the U.S. Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), among other groups.
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