Fireworks safety urged during Independence Day in San Mateo County

Dyas detailed the differences between the legal fireworks and the products his company uses in commercial shows, which will be operated in San Francisco, San Mateo County as well as across the state and nation.

Professional products shot out of mortar tubes high into the sky and explode in brilliant, decorative patterns during community celebrations are sold only to licensed companies and must pass inspection from the fire marshal before use.

These are illegal for the public to buy or use, said Dyas, largely due to the great danger threatening novices who are not trained to safely ignite the massive pyrotechnics.

“We are always very concerned to keep the fireworks we handle out of the hands of the public because they are not safe for public use at all,” he said.

Professional products pack a punch with an order of magnitude much greater than the explosives such as M-80s, cherry bombs, Roman candles, bottle rockets or firecrackers, said Dyas.

Such fireworks are illegal in California, as well as any others which shoot projectiles or explode after use, said San Bruno police Lt. Ryan Johansen. If there is any question whether a product is legal, he suggested to search for the “safe and sane” sticker attached to any permitted firework sold at roadside stands.

“If it is shooting something out that is an object beyond flames and sparks leaving the device, it will probably be illegal,” said Johansen.

Legal fireworks are only available to purchase and use in San Bruno and Pacifica, which are the last cities remaining in San Mateo County where fireworks are allowed. Local cities such as San Mateo, Redwood City and other municipalities disallowed legally-purchased fireworks from being used, and violators face fines or more serious penalties.

Though San Bruno is more tolerant, Johansen said Fourth of July celebrations bring a significant set of challenges each year to a police department inundated with reports of illegal firework use.

“It’s a headache,” said Johansen, who detailed the variety of planning initiatives required to assure the department is stocked with adequate resources and manpower to manage the uptick in calls and complaints received.

To that end, he discouraged San Bruno residents from filing vague complaints with the police department during holiday celebrations. The law requires officers to be present when an illegal firework is ignited to appropriately prosecute the suspect, so chasing general reports of violations is often unproductive, he said.

“It is only of much value if they are very specific,” said Johansen, who said proactive police work is often the most effective way to catch those breaking the law.

To that end, he said each San Bruno police officer will be on duty and patrolling the community on Fourth of July. Officers will cruise neighborhoods in uniforms and undercover on the search for those lighting off unpermitted explosives.

“We rely on good old-fashioned police techniques,” he said.

Those caught will face a first time fine worth $1,000, said Johansen, who noted property owners where illegal fireworks are used can be cited, even if they did not ignite the material.

Last year, police in San Bruno received nearly 200 calls for service on the Fourth of July, but the complaints often start a few days beforehand and will span weeks after as the illegal activity continues, Johansen said.

While acknowledging the burden associated with enforcement, Johansen balanced that perspective by recognizing the revenue generated by fireworks sales at stands in San Bruno.

The funds raised go to the San Bruno Police Association, as well as a variety of other community organizations such as local schools and youth sports leagues. Groups can raise in the neighborhood of $10,000 over the week the stands are open, organizers have said in the past.

Johansen acknowledged a black market exists for illegal fireworks as well, as evidenced by the intermittent booms and blasts scattered throughout the San Bruno sky. Though he was uncertain about how active the underground market is, Johansen acknowledged the products are popular in San Bruno as well as surrounding communities.

“They are everywhere you could possibly look,” he said, citing a recent bust in Redwood City where 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks were seized.

He said some of the products are sold by gangs who travel to neighboring states where bigger fireworks are legal and brought back to sell on the local black market. So from an enforcement perspective, the illegal explosives present a variety of health and safety hazards, he said.

“It’s a significant burden,” said Johansen.

For Dyas, he encouraged those intrigued by fireworks to forgo banned material and instead seek thrills by watching one of the local shows his company will perform.

The Foster City show will be ignited by hand from tubes placed in a sand trough, and once a shell is deployed, another will be reloaded for the show to continue, said Dyas, who admired the manpower required in the performance.

“That is the essence of fireworks,” said Dyas.

Meanwhile, for the Redwood City show, he said crews will load onto a barge where aerial shells spanning as large as 8 inches in circumference will be packed into mortars and ignited by an electrical firing system.

He said the show is one of the largest in the Bay Area, and expects it will a magnificent performance.

“There will be some big, beautiful displays up there,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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