Happy Fourth of July from your friends at Five Point Capital! We hope that your holiday weekend is spent with family and friends, hot dogs or clam bakes (depending on your location), and lots of ice cream. Also, we know that a major part of everyone’s Independence Day celebrations is viewing fireworks. Fireworks are timeless, fun, and extremely festive, especially for July 4th and summertime.
However, our 5 Point Capital staff members would like to take this opportunity to remind you fireworks can be dangerous and are meant to be lit by professionals and professionals only. This particular Fourth of July has left local fire departments and police stations concerned for two reasons. First, with the economy in its current state, many Americans are opting to stay home this holiday season instead of heading out for an Independence Day vacation. With a make-your-own-fun holiday comes a lot of do-it-yourself fireworks amateurs, trying to entertain their families. This means more people who are not trained to shoot fireworks will be lighting them, and that the fireworks may be lit in places that are not suitable for a fireworks displays, such as in backyards near trees, phone lines, or roads. Second, this Independence Day happens to fall on a Saturday, which firework sales companies claim causes a 50 percent increase in firework sales as compared to those for a weekday holiday.
These two factors mean a potential increase in the already staggering numbers of fires, injuries, and deaths that result from typical Fourth of July fireworks. The Seattle Intelligencer recently reported that last year’s July 4th celebrations resulted in 518 Washington state fires, and the Boston Globe reported National Fire Protection Association statistics which claim that close to 10,000 people each year visit the emergency room due to July 4th fireworks-related injuries. Newsweek is even claiming that sparklers caused up to eleven percent of 2008’s firework injuries.
If you want fireworks on the Fourth of July, your first option should be to check your local newspaper for professional fireworks that might be lit in your area. Lots of big cities, as well as smaller towns, set off town celebrations for Independence Day. If there is nothing in your area, or you are determined to set some fireworks off yourself, first check your state and local laws to make sure it’s legal! If your state does not allow fireworks (Massachusetts, for one, does not allow any non-authorized personnel to bring fireworks over state lines), forget it—you will have to search out the nearest city with a fireworks celebration, or resort to watching the blasts on TV. If your state does allow fireworks, call your local fire station and ask for their fire safety tips. Make sure you follow all guidelines for use and for finding a place to set them off. If at all possible, find an experienced professional to assist you with set-up and the lighting.
We here at Five Point Capital wish you all a happy holiday. Stay safe and have fun!
Tags: 4th of july, 5 point capital, 5pointcapital, boston, celebration, fire, fireworks, five point capital, fivepointcapital, fourth of july, independence day, injury, july 4th, july fourth, massachusetts, newsweek, seattle, sparklers, washington
