GAINES CHARTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Friday morning, Dutton Fire and Rescue wanted to get the message across to the public about the importance of being cautious while having fun with fireworks this holiday weekend. So, they posted an image of X-rays of people’s hands that were missing fingers or were disfigured.
“We think people respond best to the illustrations,” said Fire Marshal Brett Holmes. “When you don’t have to face the reality of something, it’s easy to ignore it or maybe expect that it’s probably not that big of deal or it’s not going to happen to me.”
However, when you’re handling fireworks anything can happen, he said.
“What you’re dealing with, they are explosives at there core. That’s what they are. That’s what they do,” Holmes said during an interview at the fire station. “So, they are inherently dangerous. Things that we do around this time of the year they can add to that danger. We’re a very distracted people. We’re on our phones a lot, talking to people. There’s a lot of drinking that’s going on this time off year.”
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, last year 11,500 “emergency room-treated injuries involving fireworks.” In 2020, there were 15,600.
So, he said the first thing to do is to designate a sober adult to handle all of the fireworks.
“We know about half of all the injuries from the Fourth of July weekend involving fireworks are going to involve drugs or alcohol,” Holmes said. “That’s why we say it. We harp on that. Keep a water source nearby. Keep children away from it.”
He stressed the importance of being mindful of children.
“There’s this perception that sparklers are safe right. And, that’s one of the things, that kids can handle it,” he said. “But, we also know that sparklers are one of the firework items that cause the most injuries, a lot of burns. So, if you are allowing children to use fireworks, if they’re going to be using sparklers, obviously closely, very closely monitor them.”
Holmes says also, you should keep pets indoors, as they react easily to loud noises.
Moreover, when throwing away fireworks, he said it's best to first douse them in water or drop them in a bucket of water to ensure that they are not active. And, if you dispose of them in a dumpster make sure it is away from the house.
“As you head into the weekend, I’d just like to reiterate: observe the laws regarding use of fireworks. Be respectful. Try to wet down the area you’re using. Do not discharge them over fields and woods, especially right now. And, be safe,” Holmes said. “We want everybody to have fun. We’re certainly not the killjoys of the world. We just want you to be careful.”
