City ordinance outlines fireworks regulations for upcoming holiday
More than a week before the Fourth of July, the Mount Pleasant Police Department has received several complaints of fireworks being set off.
"This is an issue every year," said Mount Pleasant Police Officer Jeff Browne.
City Manager Nancy Ridley said fireworks can only be set off July 3-5 in Mount Pleasant, though not from 1 a.m.-8 a.m. Ridley said these restrictions are a result of past incidents.
"We've had citizen complaints of people lighting them off on different days," she said.
Fireworks safety
According to the National Fire Protection Association, the most at-risk for fireworks injury are those under four years old. In 2014, there were more than 30,000 reported fireworks incidents in the U.S. There were eight deaths reported, 40 civilian injuries and $32 million in property damage.
MPPD offered tips to residents while celebrating this year.
- Never allow young children to handle fireworks.
- Light fireworks outdoors in a clear area.
- Read the cautionary labels and performance descriptions before igniting.
- Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks.
- Light one firework at a time and move away quickly
- Never relight a firework that didn't work the first time. Wait 20 minutes and soak it in a bucket of water.
- Do not experiment with homemade fireworks.
The city also has an ordinance in place that prohibits excessive recklessness with pyrotechnics. The ordinance was passed by the City Commission in 2012, after first passing an emergency ordinance during the holiday. It regulates pyrotechnic and display fireworks in the city limits and prohibits the use of consumer fireworks on 335 days of the year.
Residents can light off fireworks during 10 national holidays aside from Independence Day, including Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The ordinance prohibits the use of fireworks by minors and those under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
If residents violate the city's ordinance, they can receive a municipal civil infraction, which would result in a fine. Ridley said it's sometimes difficult to give out the citation.
"We can sometimes have difficulty identifying who set fireworks off by the time the police are called and they get to the incident," she said.
