Panelists answered the following: Do you support stiffer enforcement of illegal fireworks in the county?
Nants Foley: “I don’t like the illegal fireworks. I fear potential fire and bodily injury. They scare my pets. And they are so commonplace now the ‘special’ feeling is gone. But I don’t support more enforcement. It would be like trying to win the war on drugs…impossible.”
Richard Place: “I think the new zero-tolerance of illegal fireworks is adequate. My dog likes it better.”
Richard Herrera: “I do but I don’t believe it will make much of an impact. Some people will continue to buy or use illegal fireworks.”
Ruth Erickson: “Yes, though not with more enforcement but with even higher fines. We read about hands and fingers being blown off, sight being lost and terrible burns each year. Aerial fireworks may look beautiful but dry brush and rooftops can ignite in seconds, causing loss of life and property. Leave the big pyrotechnics to the professionals!”
Jim West: “No. Back in the late 1950s my friend burned himself very badly playing with an M80 (an illegal firecracker). Since then, public awareness campaigns and local ordinances restricting access to illegal fireworks have been ratcheted up almost annually. But some people really like ‘big and ‘loud’ fireworks, and if you want something badly enough…you can get it.”
Marty Richman: “Absolutely. Every year we are faced with a rash of violent injuries and even deaths. Illegal fireworks bypass government safety regulations and many are smuggled in from foreign countries; they are manufactured as cheaply as possible – your safety is not their concern. Even if you do not buy them someone in the truck next to you may be transporting them. Crack down on the sources and the supply will dry up.”
