Authorities urge 'common sense' for July 4

As Independence Day approaches, fireworks stands are popping up all over Southeast Missouri.

Local emergency workers are asking residents to exercise what Capt. David James of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department calls common-sense safety precautions with their holiday celebrations.

"Just don't set [anything] on fire," James said. "Over the years, out in the county, we've had hay bales and barns set on fire, and farm equipment -- just people being careless."

Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, has seen similar problems in town.

"Seems like there's usually a call of somebody's grass on fire," Hickey said. "It's been a while, but we have had roofs catch on fire."

A little caution can prevent serious problems, he said.

Hickey and battalion chief Brad Dillow of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department offered several fireworks safety tips, including:

• Supervise children closely, and do not allow small children to shoot off fireworks.
• Make sure fireworks are pointed in a safe direction -- not toward houses, vehicles, other people or flammable materials. "They go up in the air, they've got to come down," Dillow said.
• Pick up trash left behind by spent fireworks so fresh sparks do not ignite it.
• Never hold lit fireworks.
• Don't alter fireworks.
• Don't drink and shoot off fireworks.
• Keep a container of water nearby to extinguish fireworks as needed.

Hickey said the police department keeps buckets of water handy to collect illegal fireworks officers have confiscated.

"We seize a lot of fireworks every year, and we have multiple five-gallon buckets of water behind the station," he said.

Regulations

In Cape Girardeau, residents are allowed to shoot off Class C fireworks -- including firecrackers, sparklers, fountains, spinners, Roman candles and rockets -- from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 27 through July 3 and from 10 a.m. to midnight July 4.

Bottle rockets and aerial devices with straight, rigid sticks attached are illegal within city limits.

James said the county has no special ordinances governing the use of fireworks, but it enforces state statutes.

Vendors selling fireworks in Cape Girardeau must have a city merchant's license, a county merchant's license and a state permit and can sell fireworks from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 27 through July 4, according to a news release from the police department.

Outside city limits, fireworks stands are allowed from June 20 to July 10, according to information from county collector Diane Diebold.

Alcohol safety

While beer is a popular item at July 4 barbecues, Hickey cautioned against detonating fireworks while drinking.

"Obviously, alcohol and explosives don't mix," he said. "You want to make sure that you're responsible with them. One little accident can get somebody hurt."

Driving home after too many drinks can get somebody hurt, too, Jackson police noted.

In a news release last week, the Jackson Police Department noted about a third of the traffic deaths reported every year involve impaired drivers.

The department will be targeting drunk drivers during the holiday weekend as part of a nationwide crackdown.

James encouraged revelers to designate a driver.

"I think the best advice is obviously don't drink and drive, and rely on a designated driver," he said. "Have a friend take you home. ... I think over the years, a lot of people have decided to use designated drivers."

On the water

Designated drivers aren't just for cars, Dillow said.

Drinking while boating also is dangerous, he said.

The swaying motion of the water and the summer heat both can accelerate the effects of alcohol, Dillow said.

"Alcohol will affect your judgment [and] impair your abilities faster than when you're at your house or standing outside at a barbecue," he said.

Dillow reminded people to wear life jackets while out on the water.

Boaters also should carry a cellphone and let someone know where they are going and when they plan to return -- especially if they will be on the river, where cellphone service sometimes is limited and hazards are plentiful, Dillow said.

"There's a huge, huge difference between running on a lake than running on a river -- especially this river out here," he said.

On the river, boaters have to deal with fast-moving current while avoiding barges, dikes and debris, Dillow said.

Because the river level is rising, boaters are likely to encounter more obstacles, he said.

"It puts debris in the water, logs and things like that," he said. "If you're out boating into the water, you want to be aware of that."

Dillow recommended boaters with limited experience stick to lakes, where the water is calmer and obstacles are less plentiful.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642