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Tommy Blog Fireworks Ban: What do you think?
Tommy Blog Fireworks Ban: What do you think? | Fireworks Ban: What do you think? |
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| Written by Linda O'Brien | ||||||
| Monday, 06 August 2007 | ||||||
Page 1 of 4 Shortly before Council began its recess in July, Councilmember Jim Graham introduced the “Fireworks Neighborhood Safety Act of 2007," B17-0325. Proposed law provides for:
Present Law:
Readers have left 37 comments. (1) Untitled 2007-08-07 07:54:24 Hi, Tommy-- I don't think this ban will have any measurable effect on the celebrating, especially since so many police are on the Mall during the fireworks show and afterward. And I also think sparklers and other small firecrackers are okay and shouldn't be banned. We live in our nation's capitol -- I expect my neighbors to celebrate! Regards, Everett, ANC6a (2) Untitled 2007-08-07 11:25:33 Please do not go through with this ban! As myself and others have stated on the ANC 6a listserve, fireworks can have positive effects on the neighborhood. For instance, this year I spent an amazing 4th of July celebrating with my neighbors. The entire street (and many around us) were all outside. Groups of people set of fireworks of varying sizes (some currently illegal, some not) but no one was hurt, no fires were started, and all of the neighbors got to know each other a little bit better. Regardless of age, sex, race, or class- we were all outside, participating together and having a good time—how often does that happen? Please don’t take away one of the few outlets for community-driven participation. There have been several recommendations for changes to this ban- such as including certain designated areas across the city as ‘safe zones’ – areas that are large enough to set off fireworks safely, and where it would be legal to do so. A complete ban on things like sparklers is absolutely unnecessary, overzealous, and unenforceable. Small fireworks very rarely cause harm. This is our nation’s capital!! People want to celebrate! DC residents are so often alienated from the significance of this city- don’t take away one of the few opportunities we have to participate. (3) Untitled 2007-08-07 12:23:01 My main concern with the proposed fireworks ban is that the police will not enforce the law and the $250 fine for posession is too small. To read some of these e-mails supporting fireworks, I am amazed that Montgomery County and PG County have managed to survive with a fireworks ban. I suspect one reason is that many former DC residents who now live in Maryland enter the District to shoot off the illegal fireworks in their old neighborhoods. But so many (or is it just a few) souls in DC fear such a ban. As I and others pointed out to the Mayor on July 30th at the Barney Circle meeting, the use of illegal fireworks by DC residents has gone beyond what is reasonable. Before it started to rain on July 5, I was able to collect 17 spent rockets plus assorted fireworks debris from the roofs of seven row houses on the 1800 block of Mass. Ave. SE and other neighbors collected similar debris for their roofs on the 1500 and 1600 blocks of Potomac Ave. SE. I am no longer interested in hearing how "pretty they looked in the sky" or how they brought our neighborhood together. These items are a danager. These items are currently illegal, those in possession should be fined more than the proposed $250 (maybe including point(s) on the driver's license), enforcement should be stressed and a major education/pr effort should be undertaken to educate District residents (as well as those from the burbs) about the DC fireworks law. As an aside, Bruce Faust, Asst. Fire Marshall who attended the July 30th meeting, stated that on July 4 there were 7 building fires and one car explosion attributed to fireworks. (Adam and Naomi from Wells' office were in attendance and heard those comments.) Fireworks are not a harmless diversion. Written by Frank Zampatori () (4) Untitled 2007-08-07 16:35:12 The existing laws are not enforced. virtually all of the complaints and reported problems stem from the use of fireworks that are ALREADY illegal. I don't see any reason to think that tightening restrictions will actually result in a reduction in the use of truly dangerous fireworks. What will happen is that law-abiding citizens such as myself, who have been using fountains and sparklers safely and responsibly, will no longer have the pleasure of doing so. Thugs will still be shooting off their bottle rockets but I won't be able to enjoy so much as a sparkler. And when this fails, what will we ban next? Matches? Cigarette lighters? Pretty much every useful or enjoyable object involves some risk. More kids get injured on skateboards and bicylces than with fireworks - will we ban those? What about scissors? We've all been told not to run with them. I've seen kids lighting aerosol cans - which is REALLY dangerous - are we going to get rid of all of those too? I suggest that we concentrate our efforts on eliminating the currenly-illegal fireworks rather than distract ourselves from the real dangers by going after the fountains and sparklers. Sheesh. We're turning into a bunch of kill-joys. (5) Untitled 2007-08-07 19:30:59 I am in favor of the ban...I have witnessed mailboxes badly damaged, fireworks landing on roofs and childrern burning themselves and coming close to taking fingers or a hand off. (6) Untitled 2007-08-07 21:58:48 I support the ban. I can't think of one logical reason not to! Written by Jack () (7) Untitled 2007-08-08 11:48:36 I am 100% in favor of the ban. Each year the playground in my neighborhood looks like Kings Dominion. All we need are a few rides and we can charge admission. The rockets are too close to homes, they can easily go through someone's window and/or set a house on fire. By the way, no all the people who light the illegal fireworks are thugs as they were called above. Why is it that we always have to label people instead of discussing issues as they are and try to find a solution? Written by Sheila () (8) Untitled 2007-08-08 12:27:09 I would like to see a ban on all NOISE producing fireworks. ALl of those who live on the Hill proper can certainly enjoy the negihborhood festivities, but those of us who live on the "fringes" of the Hill (Hill East, Old City, etc) do not enjoy a singular night of "fesitivities" we enjoy a 2 month long barrage of nightly loud explosions into the wee hours of the morning, beginning in late June and ending in early August. Please enjoy your celebration, but before you are so quick to jump the gun, I would invite you to my home beginning any night after June 15, 2008 to get some peace and quiet before you have to go to work the next day. Additionally, the children in our area run into the middle of the road, shoot rockets off at passing cars and endanger themselves and others. There was great enforcement this year, but I do share the concern of another law that cannot/is not enforced. I am in favor of a total and complete ban. Written by Guest User () (9) Untitled 2007-08-08 12:33:29 I am completely in favor of the ban. I have been personally negatively impacted by the use of fireworks throughout the last two summers. In 2006, on July 3rd a projectile firework him my home and burned through the screen of my bedroom window. In 2007, on July 4th, my car was hit by a "bottle rocket" and damaged the paint. I can understand the use of fireworks in areas where the risk of damage to personal property is minimal, but in DC, given the amount of cars, people and residences within the compact area of the district, the ban on fireworks makes perfectly logical sense. As a homeowner, dedicated resident, and community volunteer of PSA 101 and ANC 6C04, I 100 percent support the ban. (10) Untitled 2007-08-08 12:37:09 I am in favor of banning fireworks also. Unfortunately, a few bad apples have spoiled the bunch. There are a few residents who enjoy playing with sparklers, but there are also a few residents who live in DC, Maryland, and Virginia who enjoy playing with rockets, tubes, exploding fountains, and roman candles in our city’s federal parks, on heavily tree-lined streets, in narrow alleys, and in-between cars. And just in case you might think that is ok, imagine a 4 year old with bad motor skills handling a lighter and then shooting a firing explosive into the air and it landing on your roof while you are at work, on vacation, or asleep. I’m sure responsible adults can handle fireworks properly; the problem is that a lot of adults do not supervise their children when they are handling fireworks. On top of that, the noise is unbelievable. Really, it has gotten to the point that you hate to be in your own home on the 4th of July. I left my house to be in a hotel for the 4th of July last year because like many people, I had to go to work the next day. The noise is intolerable the days leading up to and the days following the holiday. The personal enjoyment of fireworks on the 4th of July has become a destruction in our quality of life. Written by Antonette Russell () |
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