By Pat Culverhouse
Fourth of July celebrations somehow aren’t the same without pyrotechnical displays, whether performed by experts for public functions or by individuals who simply want to pop a few firecrackers and launch rockets.
Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver hopes everyone in the city enjoys themselves on the holiday, but he also wants people to know there are rules to follow.
“We want everyone to have fun on the Fourth, but we also want them to know there’s a city ordinance governing fireworks,” he said. “The conditions are very reasonable and we don’t think it will do anything to prevent people from enjoying their fireworks.”
Minden’s ordinance allows the discharge of permissible fireworks between June 12 and July 5, inclusive. Most importantly, McIver said, fireworks “…shall not be discharged prior to 8 a.m. nor later than 10 p.m.”
“I think the most problems we find are that people forget there’s a 10 p.m. deadline for ending fireworks displays,” he said. “Most of the complaints we receive are about people continuing to shoot their fireworks after that time limit.”
Violations of Minden’s fireworks ordinance are classified as misdemeanors and could result in fines ranging from $10 to $25 or 30 days in jail. Fines for improper permits (required sales and large displays) or ignoring broader fire prevention/protection protocols can escalate fines up to $500.
McIver said in most cases, officers will issue warnings to individuals who may violate the ordinance.
“It’s not our intention to stop people from enjoying themselves, but there has to be a limit,” he said. “If the circumstances dictate, we will issue tickets.”
McIver said individuals who are engaged in fireworks displays should also take others into consideration.
“Most of the folks who are shooting off fireworks are doing so in neighborhoods. We would encourage them to consider the wellbeing of other people and not continue past the deadline,” he said.
And, the Chief added, there are safety factors that should be considered.
“A big part of fireworks are bottle rockets, larger rockets and large burst types that cause sparks to fall,” he said. “It could be dangerous if those sparks fall on the roof of someone’s home and cause a fire. We hope people will be careful if they’re shooting the fireworks close to houses.”
Another danger McIver hopes people will avoid during their celebration is firing weapons into the air.
“It seems there’s a small number of people who think firing handguns or rifles into the air is a cool way of celebrating, especially on the Fourth,” he said. “They simply do not realize how dangerous that can be. A stray bullet could be a tragic end to someone’s holiday.”
McIver said his officers will be conducting routine patrol duties during the holiday weekend. In addition to watching for ordinance violations, officers will also be on the lookout for individuals who may have partied a little too hardily.
“We will certainly be on the lookout for impaired drivers,” he said. “We would encourage individuals to refrain from driving if they’ve been drinking, and we would ask their friends to take away their keys. We want people to have a safe holiday.”
Springhill also has an ordinance in place governing fireworks. It reads: “It shall be unlawful for any person to have, keep, store, use, sell, handle, transport or discharge any pyrotechnics (fireworks) within the city limits, other than during the following dates: July 1 through 12:00 midnight of July 4.”