With the Fourth of July just around the corner, Long Islanders can expect many celebrations filled with fireworks. But the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center is urging all residents to let professionals handle the fireworks, and not to use sparkling devices.
“Although fireworks and sparkling devices are exciting and fun to watch, they are extremely dangerous,” said John V. Murray, Nassau County Firefighters Museum’s Chief Fire Safety Instructor. “They can cause serious bodily harm and even death. Fireworks should only be used by certified professionals who have undergone proper training.”
Recently, members of the Nassau County Legislature and the Fire Marshal’s office worked together on the bill to prohibit the sale or use of sparkling devices which make up many firework injuries each year, especially for children.
“They look harmless,” Laura Curran, Nassau County Executive, said during a press conference earlier this month. “But they are incredibly harmful. They can cause fires and serious, serious injury.”
The Nassau Legislature unanimously passed the legislation after heeding warnings from the Fire Marshal’s office and the volunteer service of Nassau County, and joined several other counties across the state who have banned the sale of these devices.
Despite their toy-like appearances, sparklers can seriously harm their users. The tip of a sparkler burns at a temperature of nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which can cause severe 3rd-degree burns. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), sparklers cause roughly 25 percent of all fireworks-related emergency room visits, the most of any type of fireworks-like device.
“Don’t risk getting hurt this Independence Day,” said Chief Murray. “As your friends in the community, the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center urges all Long Islanders to attend one of the many excellent fireworks displays available across the Island.”
In 2017, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that 68 percent of the total estimated fireworks-related injuries in 2016 occurred in the month surrounding July 4th, with almost one-third of those injured being children under the age of 15.
“The Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center wishes everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July,” said Murray. “And should there be an emergency or unsafe situation, we urge everyone to call 911. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Francis X. Pendl Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center, located at One Davis Avenue by Charles Lindbergh Boulevard (‘Museum Row’), Garden City 11530, is a nearly 10,000 square-foot interactive facility where individuals, families and groups can experience first-hand the proud tradition of local volunteer firefighting. Visitors can trace the history of firefighting in Nassau County with hands-on exhibits that feature antique and contemporary fire apparatus and gear. Kids have fun learning fire safety.
For more information, visit FNCFireMuseum.org and Facebook @NCMuseum
