By Tim Cherry
Staff writer
Thursday, June 28, 2012

The use of all types of fireworks is illegal on post, according to officials from the Fort Belvoir Fire Marshal’s Office.

John Weaver, Fort Belvoir fire marshal, said community members are encouraged to attend the Freedom Fest July 4 from 5 to 10 p.m., at Fremont Field to view fireworks.

Weaver said residents going off post to use fireworks should exercise extreme caution because mishandling the explosive objects can lead to lost limbs or even death.

“Let the professionals handle them,” Weaver said. “You don’t need to spend your night in a hospital.”

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission 2011 Fireworks Annual Report, fireworks were involved in an estimated 9,600 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments in 2011. Children and young adults under 20 years-old received 36 percent of the estimated emergency department treatment. An estimated 1,100 visits were associated with sparklers, 800 with firecrackers and 300 with bottle rockets.

Weaver emphasized the importance of safely handling sparklers, as they burn at a higher temperature than matches and wood. Sparklers also burn at higher temperatures than cooking a cake, or the melting point of glass and aluminum.

The handheld firework is fun for children but one mistake can severely burn a child or people around them.

Weaver said children should hold sparklers at arm’s length and six feet apart from other people. Children should wear closed-toe shoes and parents should a have bucket of water ready to dispose of the sparkler.

“Sparklers have been a traditional means of celebration for hundreds of years,” Weaver said. “We need to teach our children to use them safely and help prevent needless injuries.”

Weaver advises against throwing or running with sparklers, or handing lit sparklers to another person. Also, parents shouldn’t hold their child while either is using a sparkler.

The CPSC issued a press release June 26 listing numerous tips for general firework safety. The list includes never allowing children to play with or ignite fireworks, never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse and never try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks.

The need for safety is even more important with July 4th approaching. The CPSC study found that 65 percent of all fireworks injuries in 2011 were sustained during the 30 days surrounding the Independence Day holiday. More than half of these injuries were the result of unexpected ignition of the device or consumers not using fireworks as intended.

Chris McCormick, Fort Belvoir Safety Office, occupational health and safety specialist, said people don’t understand the associated risk behind the use of fireworks.

Intense burns, amputated limbs and death are all consequences community members should consider before lighting the match, according to McCormick.

McCormick said many type of fireworks, including firecrackers, sparklers, bottle rockets, skyrockets, torpedoes and other fireworks that explode, travel laterally, rise into the air, or fire projectiles into the air, are illegal in Virginia unless one is a licensed contractor.

“A good alternative to personal fireworks are the community displays,” McCormick said.

For more information call the Fort Belvoir Fire Marshal’s Office at (703) 805-2091. For emergencies call (703) 781-1800, or visit www.cpsc.gov/info/fireworks/index.html.