The coming of the New Years Day holiday is often celebrated with fireworks displays at many high profile events. Unfortunately, many individuals also purchase fireworks illegally, for their own home display.
Fireworks are illegal in San Jose. Generally speaking, if it explodes, shoots a flame, or goes up in the air, such as a bottle rocket, it is illegal. "Safe and sane fireworks don't exist," says Dr. John Hall, NFPA assistant vice president of Fire Analysis and Research. "When things go wrong with fireworks, they go very wrong, very fast, far faster than any fire protection provisions can respond." Sparklers, for example, burn at temperatures of over 1,800 degrees. Also, it takes matches and lighters to ignite the fireworks. To a young child this looks like fun. The child then finds the matches and experiment with them themselves. The results of playing with matches could be deadly.
Fireworks are fun to look at, but should be left to professionals at public displays. The concern of the San Jose Fire Department, as well as many other agencies, is for the dangers that fireworks carry. Fireworks cause many fires and injure many people each year. Approximately one out of every three fireworks injuries is to the eye, and one-quarter of those injuries result in permanent blindness. Additionally, two-thirds of the permanent injuries happened to someone who was watching the display from an average of 22 feet away from the person lighting the firework.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission still estimates that in 2004 about 9,600 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with fireworks. Over half the injuries were burns and most of the injuries involved the hands, eyes, and head. About half of the victims were under 15 years of age. Children between the ages of 10 - 14 are 10 times more likely to be injured by fireworks than an adult 25 years or older.
The San Jose Fire Department wishes everyone a Safe, Healthy & Happy New Year
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