Getting Safely Fired Up For The Fourth
Jennifer Marsh
jmarsh@harrodsburgherald.com
Nearly a week of fireworks to celebrate Independence Day starts Saturday, June 30, with Lights Over Lake Herrington.
Independence Day festivities kick off this weekend in Mercer County. While fireworks are always fun, it is important to stay safe.
The lights over Herrington Lake will take place Saturday, June 30, after dark.
Harrodsburg Health and Rehabilitation Center’s annual celebration will start at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 3, with fireworks at dusk.
The fireworks at Anderson-Dean Community Park are Wednesday, July 4. Attendees are encouraged to bring canned food items for the annual Ephraim McDowell-James B. Haggin Memorial Hospital food drive that benefits the Christian Life Center.
Individual fireworks are available for purchase all over town. While planning a barbecue and other festivities the Kentucky Fire Marshall office suggest users follow the safety guidelines listed below:
- Purchase fireworks only from a properly licensed retailer.
- Always wear eye protection and earplugs if you have sensitive ears.
- Tie-back long hair and don’t wear loose fitting clothes.
- Only light one firework at a time.
- Never try to re-light fireworks that have malfunctioned.
- Never have any part of your body over fireworks. Keep young children away from fireworks.
- Never throw or point fireworks at other people.
- Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
- Make sure to have water nearby in case of a fire or an accident.
- Dispose of fireworks by soaking them in water and leaving them in a trash can.
- Never light fireworks indoors.
- Don’t use fireworks while consuming alcohol.
- Use a “designated shooter.”
- Don’t save fireworks from season to season.
“Mercer County is usually pretty responsible when it comes to fireworks, my advice is make sure an adult is doing it, said Scott Hammons, Harrodsburg fire chief. “There is a noise ordinance but other than that the only definite rule is no 1.3 pyrotechnics.” Meaning no display fireworks or class B explosives. The noise ordinance Hammons is referring to is KRS 227.17 stating that all disturbing noise should stop at 11 p.m.
The city of Burgin has added a new ordinance regarding fireworks that requires residents to keep their celebrations to only July 3 and 4 and only during the hours of 10 a.m. to midnight.
For more information about fire safety contact the fire department at 734-2848.
To learn more, check out this week’s issue of the Harrodsburg Herald.
