They're bright, beautiful — and illegal

Fireworks should be left to the pros, doctors and police officers say, By Pamela Chergotis Monroe —Commuters in Orange County may have noticed a billboard for a fireworks “superstore” in nearby Matamoras, Pa. This sign, showing colorful streamers fanned out against the night sky, may inspire people to include a spectacular grand finale in their Fourth of July party plans. But all fireworks — even those little sparklers many older people recall fondly from their childhood — are illegal in both New York and New Jersey. To listen to local law enforcement officials and emergency room doctors, fireworks aren’t safe either. The innocent-seeming sparklers reach temperatures of 1800 degrees Fahrenheit — “equivalent to the amount of heat in a blowtorch, enough to melt gold,” according to Dr. Joanne Magro, an emergency room physician and chair of the board at Orange Regional Medical Center. The hospital sees about 50 to 60 cases a year of injuries caused by fireworks, she said. Sparklers cause more injuries than all other fireworks combined, she said, and fully half of those injuries happen to children under 16. Most dangerous are those M80 and M100 cherry bombs, Magro said. “Bundled together, they will give you a government-grade explosive,” she said. In cities like Middletown, it’s mostly teenagers acting on their own who get hurt, Magro said. In suburban towns like Chester or Goshen, most of the injuries happen at family backyard parties, she said. Dr. Ed Orlando is the director of emergency medicine at Bon Secours Hospital in Port Jervis. It’s the closest hospital to Milford, Pa., where some fireworks are legal without a permit. Orlando said second-degree burns and injuries to the hands are the most common injuries, followed by injuries to the eyes and also to the ears, which can be hurt by the loud blast. At another emergency room, Orlando has seen fingers blown off cleanly by fireworks. The doctors and police officers consulted for this article stressed it is not only misuse by handlers but defects in the fireworks themselves that cause problems. Fireworks purchased in previous years may also become defective during storage, they said. Monroe Police Chief Dominic Guidice, said his department gets a lot of calls every year. Fireworks set off in backyards create a hazard not only to children but can cause fires and damage to other people’s property. Those who set off the fireworks can also be injured, he added, especially if they try to retrieve a firework that did not go off. Dennis Marsh, the police chief in Goshen, said the Fourth of July — and the third and the fifth as well — is a particularly busy time for his patrol officers. During this time, town officers are constantly responding to complaints about fireworks. He said he has just arrested someone in possession of $75 to $100 worth of fireworks. If someone has more than $100, he said, it is assumed those fireworks were intended to sale, which makes the crime more serious. “People think that setting off fireworks is a victimless crime until that ambulance pulls up,” Marsh said, noting that it is legal for a business to advertise its wares, even in states that have banned them. Ron Regar, the temporary manager of the Keystone Fireworks store in Matamoras, said his store does not ask buyers to show they have a permit before selling fireworks. Paradoxically, the only restriction applies to Pennsylvania residents, who are not permitted to buy many of the products he sells. Pennsylvania law allows the possession and use of many of the fireworks banned in New York and New Jersey. But Pennsylvania residents may shop only in one section of the store, which is limited to fireworks legal in Pennsylvania. Residents of all other states may buy whatever they wish, he said. Keystone Firework’s Web site (www.keystonefireworks.com) offers a page of safety tips. But about the legality of fireworks, it says only: “Follow your local and state laws regarding the possession and use of fireworks, and use good common sense when using fireworks.” Lt. Glenn Miner at state police headquarters in Albany said any person who possesses or uses fireworks in the state is guilty of a violation. But furnishing or selling fireworks to minors bumps up the charge to a misdemeanor. If it’s the second conviction in five years, the charge goes up to a felony. The Monroe police recently arrested a merchant for selling fireworks to a 15-year-old boy. According to police, the boy got caught with the fireworks in school. He told his father he got them from Mail Express on Lake Street, and they reported this to the police. Following the police interview, the father gave his son permission to go back to the store to buy more. Under the watchful eye of the police, the boy bought several mats, each containing 200 fireworks. On June 9, the police arrested the store’s owner, Steven Snitofsky, 47. He was charged with two counts of unlawfully dealing with fireworks, misdemeanors, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. He was released on $240 bail pending a June 29 court appearance. Anyone who wishes to dispose of fireworks may call your local police department for guidance. Claudia Wysocki contributed to this story.