4TH OF JULY - CELEBRATE THE NATION SAFELY

4th of July Fun & Safety

Growing up in the Ozarks, I have fond memories of summer. Time at the lake, fishing, water parks, and fireworks around Independence Day! As a kid fireworks always seemed like an easy form of entertainment and like any male child in the 80’s, safety wasn’t much of a concern. I cringe to think of my 10 year old self chasing my friends with a lit roman candle for fun. Years of wisdom and a healthy dose of working in emergency medicine has changed my views on firework safety. Yes, they are still fun and I love watching my kids shoot them off but, here is a look at how to approach the festivities of the 4^th.

Alarming Firework Stats

So, now the reality. “In 2017, eight people died and over 12,000 were injured badly enough to require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents. Of these, 50% of the injuries were to children and young adults under age 20. Over two-thirds (67%) of injuries took place from June 16 to July 16. And while the majority of these incidents were due to amateurs attempting to use professional-grade, homemade or other illegal fireworks or explosives, an estimated 1,200 injuries were from less powerful devices like small firecrackers and sparklers.” (National safety council, 2017)

"Fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires each year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires and nearly 17,000 other fires."

I know these are some scary stats, but if fireworks are legal to buy where you live and you choose to use them, be sure to follow the following safety tips:

Never allow young children to handle fireworks
Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
Never light them indoors
Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
Never point or throw fireworks at another person
Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
Never ignite devices in a container
Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire
Never use illegal fireworks
Keep a first aid kit available in case of injury