Warren to target fireworks
City: Zero-tolerance enforcement over holiday weekendBy RAYMOND L. SMITH Tribune Chronicle
Fact Box
Illegal
These can be purchased in Ohio, but must be taken elsewhere:
- ''Display'' or ''exhibitor fireworks'' including aerial shells and mortars.
- firecrackers
- bottle rockets
- Roman candles
- fountains
Legal
Commonly referred to as ''trick'' or ''novelty'' fireworks:
-sparklers
- snaps
- glow snakes
- smoke bombs
Note: Some communities have their own regulations concerning fireworks, so ask before you light up.
WARREN - City officials want residents to have a red, white and boom time this July 4th weekend.
Just not within city limits.
Unless, of course, it is the professional fireworks display at Packard Park, which will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m. today.
The city's police and fire departments will have a zero-tolerance attitude toward individuals setting off illegal fireworks and will be handing out citations that could net revelers fines up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail.
Effective Wednesday, city police officers were instructed not to ignore fireworks complaints, police Capt. Tim Bowers said.
"It is not that we ignored them in the past but they were kind of a low priority because we understood that people would be firing them on the Fourth of July," Bowers said. "Use and possession of fireworks is against Ohio and city laws."
People caught with fireworks will be given summons to appear in Warren Municipal Court and the fireworks will be confiscated, officials said.
"We are going to have a proactive enforcement of fireworks this entire weekend," Mayor Michael J. O'Brien said Thursday during a news conference. "As mayor, I received more calls during the year regarding fireworks abuse than any other calls of any other nature in the city."
O'Brien said the city is trying to address residents' concerns.
"We've had complaints in the past where we had residential neighborhoods with displays that have gone 50 to 60 feet in the air," O'Brien said. "The displays are not quite burned out as they land in gutters, on roofs and in trees."
The police will be able to do increased enforcement as a result of a traffic grant the city received from the Governor's Highway Safety office to enforce OVI/DUI traffic, aggressive driving and speeding.
"These officers - the extra officers - will have summons and they are not going to ignore firework violations," Bowers said. "Their primary efforts will be traffic, but they are not going to ignore the illegal use of fireworks. There will more than usual number of police on the street."
Fire Chief Ken Nussle said the increased enforcement around Independence Day actually began last year.
"Last year was not a bad year for fireworks," Nussle said. "We're hoping that our presence in the neighborhoods will be a deterrence to resident using individual fireworks."
Nationwide, the loss due to injury and property damage has been staggering.
"More fires and injuries occur on the Fourth of July than any other day," Nussle said.
"A finger can't be replaced," he said. "A hand can't be replaced. Eyes can't be replaced. We're asking for cooperation from residents."
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mrwrestling
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07-22-08 1:27 PM
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OldManGrump2, just how would you know that someone would have to sign a paper saying they were taking the fireworks out of the state of Ohio? Something tells me you have purchased fireworks before. Don't Deny it! The issue is really lame to be honest. I purchase and set off fireworks all through the year. We do it on our private family farm and it's a lot of fun. I've shot fireworks for nearly 20 years, never had a problem, never had an accident nor incident. There are more important problems for police to concern themselves with like when people are irresponsible with fireworks or set things on fire or drugs or guns or other crime. OldManGrump2 - do us all a favor and get a hobby, read a book, go fishing, pray, go to church, do something proactive.
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pahootaman
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07-07-08 12:49 PM
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WILL SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!!!
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anaconda
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07-05-08 11:46 AM
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Oldmangrump your name says it all. are you a communist.?
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mrcafeman
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07-05-08 11:25 AM
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Why not target crack houses instead!! Give me a break. Fireworks is not a problem. Freedom to express yourself as long as you do it responsibly and dont hurt anyone or do it past midnight. Its one day of the year people. Get a life!!
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Trancemage
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07-05-08 9:21 AM
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What a joke, Warren targetes fireworks, what so they can watch? We had people lighting up our sky till 1 in the morning, pretty much non stop, did not see one cop come by. They must have only targeted certain areas of warren..
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hstottle
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07-04-08 4:56 PM
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oldmangrump2 hopefully some fireworks will fall on your house this year!Do you keep the neighborhood kids toys when they go in your yard too.
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werwykos
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07-04-08 2:44 PM
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Legalize it. It's another law/ordinence that will keep costing us money with no results.
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jcg868
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07-04-08 10:56 AM
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I agree it is silly that illegal fireworks can be purchased in the state of Ohio but not used in the state. By the way, people in my neighborhood were shooting off fireworks at least until 11:30 last night. And they were not of the legal variety!
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OldManGrump2
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07-04-08 7:19 AM
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Go get 'em. We don't need private fireworks anywhere in the state of Ohio. I hope they fine 'em bigtime for the violations. The purchase of fireworks in Ohio is a joke. Sign a paper saying your taking them out of state, yea, right !!! The legislature should correct the problem and stop this non-sense once and for all. No fireworks purchases period.
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