Will Carty appoint a Fireworks Czar to hammer the offenders in Toledo? Maybe Toledo's Parking Czar can pull double-duty. But then again, I'm sure no one in Toledo will violate these guidelines.
Jul 2, 2009 13abc tweet :
"Illegal Fireworks are basically anything that makes a "boom" which is lit."
I guess that means our trash bag bombs are illegal.
One summer, many years ago in my hometown in eastern Ohio, this is what us rednecks did. We filled white, kitchen garbage bags with acetylene, which is a gas fuel used for welding. These acetylene-filled balloon-like bags were impressive "bombs." We'd set one on the ground or on top of a bush or in a cast iron kettle, then attach a long piece of masking tape to the bag. This tape of three or four feet long was our fuse.
We'd light the tape, then drive away. The tape burned real slow, so it might be 10-15 minutes later before the thing exploded. By then we'd be on the other end of town, but the explosion was so loud, that everyone in town heard it. People who somehow found out that our little group was responsible for the big, booming sounds would ask if we had dynamite.
We had a police scanner in the pickup truck, of course, so as to keep track of those wanting to spoil our fun. After we set one of these acetylene bag bombs on top of a big bush, all that was left after the explosion was stubble. The one placed into the cast iron kettle blew the kettle to pieces. At night, the bomb gave off a blinding, blue-white flash, and it would rattle the windows of nearby houses.
So these puny fireworks that people like to shoot off in the neighborhood don't measure up to my standards. Big yawners. Naturally, at real fireworks shows, my favorite is the simple, big white flash firework followed by the chest-pounding sound.
In a Simpsons episode, the person selling Homer some fireworks said something like, "Celebrate the independence of your country by blowing up a piece of it." We accomplished that with kitchen garbage bags, masking tape, and acetylene. And luck.
Lucky we didn't get injured or worse. Ahh, the joy of being young, stupid, and fearless. Now I'm afraid to light the gas grill.Warning: I'm not responsible for anyone trying this and getting hurt or causing property damage. 100% of the blame belongs to the morons who attempt to copy this.
Contents of PDF file from the city of Toledo:
DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND RESCUE OPERATIONS
CITY OF TOLEDO
TITLE
Fireworks
PURPOSE
Define legal and illegal fireworks and establish guidelines for handling these types of incidents.
GUIDELINES
"Fireworks" means any composition or device prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion, deflagration, detonation, except ordinary matches.
1. Legal Fireworks as defined by the Ohio Revised Code 3743.80 Exemptions from provisions.
E) The manufacture, sale, possession, transportation, storage or use of toy pistols, toy canes, toy guns, or other devices in which paper or plastic caps containing twenty-five hundredths grains or less of explosive material are used, provided that they are constructed so that a hand cannot come into contact with a cap when it is placed for explosion, or apply to the manufacture, sale, possession, transportation, storage, or use of those caps;
F) The manufacture, sale, possession, transportation, storage or use of novelties and trick noise makers…;
G) The manufacture, sale, possession, transportation, storage or use of wire sparklers.
This would include but not be limited to:
- Snap – a small paper-wrapped item that contains a minute quantity of explosive composition coated on small bits of sand, and that, when dropped, implodes.
- Smoke Device – a tube or sphere that contains pyrotechnic composition that, upon ignition produces white or colored smoke as the primary effect.
- Snake or Glow Worms – a device that consists of a pressed pellet or pyrotechnic composition that produces a large, snake-like ash upon burning, which ash expands in length as the pellet burns.
- Punk – a flare like device used to light fireworks.
- Sparklers – a wire or stick coated with a nonexplosive pyrotechnic mixture that produces a shower of sparks upon ignition and that contains no more than one hundred grams of this mixture
2. Illegal Fireworks are basically anything that makes a "boom" which is lit.
This would include but not be limited to:
- Bottle Rockets
- Cones
- Firecrackers
- Helicopters
- Parachutes
- Roman Candles
- Skyrockets
Even though illegal fireworks are a first-degree misdemeanor, the police may not have the staffing to act on every citizen you come across with a pack of firecrackers. It is imperative to remember that if you find large quantities (i.e. a trunk, pick-up, garage, or house full) of illegal fireworks it is your responsibility to secure the scene for the police or arson investigator.
At no time shall a fire crew confiscate illegal fireworks. Special care is required in the handling, transportation, and storage of fireworks. At this time we do not have the capabilities to handle any items confiscated by crews.
| Date of issue: | Effective Date: | Revised: |
| 17 November 2005 | 17 November 2005 | 21 November 2006 |
Remember Residential Sprinklers and Smoke Detectors Save Lives !!!
It sounds like it's easier to get away with launching explosive devices than it is to park on one's own driveway. It's always better to break the law as a mob.
This is probably the period when a few more people lose a digit. Has to be an "exciting" time in the emergency rooms. What we need is for the local hospitals to tweet fireworks mishaps.
Past Toledo Talk fireworks threads:
- Jun 20, 2005 - Fireworks - (3 comments)
- Jun 30, 2006 - Fireworks and Other Celebrations - (11 comments)
- Jul 4, 2006 - Fireworks Safety Reminder - (11 comments)
- Jun 27, 2007 - Got Dogs who fear fireworks?? - (18 comments)
- Jul 2, 2007 - Forth of July - (8 comments)
- Jul 3, 2007 - Sylvania Fireworks - (16 comments)
- Jul 4, 2007 - Woman dies in fireworks accident as family watches - (4 comments)
- Jul 4, 2007 - Excessive Fireworks Displays by Amateurs - (28 comments)
- Jul 6, 2007 - Toledo Police Investigate Gang Violence After Fireworks - (3 comments)
- Jul 5, 2008 - Fire in toledo apartments caused by illegal fireworks? - (22 comments)
- May 28, 2009 - Fireworks to go on - (24 comments)
- Jun 15, 2009 - Dogs afraid of Fireworks/Thunder? - (8 comments)
- Jun 25, 2009 - Downtown 4th of July Fireworks are no longer free!?!? - (4 comments)
- Jun 28, 2009 - Fireworks '09 - (10 comments)
As I posted last year. I sat right at the entrance to the docks before the fireworks began. There were at least 3 policemen and one patrol car there. Directly across the street, people were setting off "illegal" fireworks for at least an hour before the real show began. Not one time did I see any of those policemen or any other TPD telling the amateur illegal fireworks people to stop. Which leaves me to wonder, why is the city harrassing gravel parking people and leaving fireworks alone? I've never seen anyone get hurt by a car parked on gravel.
posted by hockeyfan on Jul 03, 2009 at 10:18:42 pm #