July 4th may be nine months away but some Danville City Council members are looking for ways to reduce complaints about fireworks. Alderman Steve Foster says the city has been getting more complaints about illegal fireworks. A city permit is required to put on a commercial fireworks display, but interim Fire Chief Don McMasters says his department was not notified about some displays last Independence Day.
Alderman Foster notes some fireworks shows are hosted by entities whose property is within the city – but the fireworks are not….
{‘’For example on the lake a lot of people are blowing them up, they’re not in the city but it’s still illegal fireworks – and dangerous,’’ said Foster during a city council committee meeting Tuesday night. ‘’And also there doesn’t seem to be any way for us to really have any enforcement. And then the question arose – who enforces it? The fire department, or does it have to be the police?}
Police Chief Chris Yates says officers do respond the fireworks calls….
{‘’We do write city ordinance (violations) for fireworks. And we cease probably enough every Fourth of July during the neighborhood fireworks displays that would fill-up the back end of two pickup trucks,’’ said Yates. ‘’And then we have to figure out a way of disposing of them safely.’’}
Chief Yates notes there is a safety concern about having firefighters patrol and write citations for fireworks. He says that is because they may go to a fireworks call and discover it is something else. And Fire Chief McMasters noted that on more than one occasion fireworks have been shot toward their truck.
Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. says he will seek input from the city’s new legal counsel and the chiefs on how they can address the concerns.
