Weekend Plans July 4 Edition: Fireworks, parades, Eno festival

With the Fourth of July holiday almost upon us, area fire departments are joining together to warn citizens about the dangers of fireworks.

Make sure fireworks are legal in your locality before buying them.

Care should also be taken when deciding where to allow the children to use sparklers, Steffes said.

“Knowing the harm fireworks inflict each year, particularly on young people, we urge everyone to leave fireworks to the professionals who are trained to safely put on spectacular displays”.

The city’s fireworks will once again be shot from the public works building over the sewer ponds at 10 p.m., July 4. Celebrating the Fourth of July with fireworks, cookouts and community events can quickly turn to disaster if proper precautions are not taken.

A pancake breakfast is scheduled 7 -10 a.m.in the Aptos parking lot (cost tbd).

City residents and property owners should direct any questions to the City of Coatesville Fire Chief’s office at 610-384-0300 ext.

In Jefferson City, the Salute to America festival is happening all weekend, ending with a fireworks display on the north law of the State Capitol around 9 p.m.

While veteran Mansfield firefighters don’t remember fireworks starting a fire or injuring someone, a new problem came up previous year.

Officials say with grass, brush and trees all extremely dry, the chance for an accident caused by consumer fireworks is higher than usual.

Nationally, an average of 230 people went to the emergency room with fireworks-related injuries in the month around the July 4th holiday.

July 4, fireworks may be used between 10 a.m. and midnight.

Even sparklers can be risky. In 2010, there were an estimated 1,200 injuries associated with sparklers, according to CPSC. If teens are permitted to handle fireworks they should be closely supervised by an adult.

A Red Cross survey found that while 80 percent of Americans said they could swim, only 56 percent of them could perform all five of the basic skills needed to save their lives in the water. “Enjoy fireworks where they belong: on the pavement, safely away from houses, vehicles, and flammable vegetation”.

Commissioner Jones stresses that fireworks can be very unsafe in the hands of a child. “By acting responsibly, we can help eliminate fireworks injuries in Maryland”.

This weekly column is submitted by the City of Springfield.