Laura Young
news@greenepublishing.com
If you plan to shoot off your own fireworks, know that by Florida law the Fourth of July is one of only three days when this is allowed, the other two being New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Florida statutes define a firework as “any combustible or explosive composition or substance or combination of substances or, except as hereinafter provided, any article prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion, explosion, deflagration, or detonation.”
That means anything that uses explosives and launches into the sky using fire, flammable compounds, tablets or any explosive substances is a firework. Common types that fit this definition are
• Blank cartridges
• Toy cannons
• Firecrackers
• Fire-propelled balloons
• Torpedoes
• Skyrockets
• Roman candles
• Dago Bombs
For the approaching holiday, that means these should be used only on the holiday itself – Tuesday, July 4 – and not the weekend before or any of the other surrounding days.
The National Safety Council recommends, however, that you leave fireworks to the experts.
“They may be legal but they are not safe,” their website says.
For anyone who still chooses to “do-it-yourself” with fireworks this year, the council has the following safety tips:
• Never allow young children to handle fireworks.
• Older children should use them only under close adult supervision.
• Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol.
• Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear.
• Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands.
• Never light them indoors.
• Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting.
• Never ignite devices in a container.
• Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks.
• Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding.
• Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don't go off or in case of fire.
• Never use illegal fireworks.