Visit Your Local PBS Station PBS Home PBS Home Programs A-Z TV Schedules Watch Video Support PBS Shop PBS Search PBS

Washington Week
Around the TableTranscriptsVideoContact us
Washington Week HomeStudent Voices
This Week
About the Show
About Gwen
Where to Watch
Webcast Extra
Reporter's Notebook
Special Coverage
Discussion Forum
For Educators
Student Voices
Contact Us

Kansas State U.-area PD urges firework safety
By Alex Peak
Kansas State Collegian (Kansas State U.)
06/30/2006

(U-WIRE) MANHATTAN, Kan. — While there are events ranging from a children's tricycle race to a watermelon feed and a fireworks display for the Fourth of July this year, many people plan to set off their own firecrackers and police and firefighters advise safety precautions.

Dean Thibault, market president of Landmark Bank, 701 Poyntz Ave., has helped plan the day of public events.

"There will be a lot of things for the family," Thibault said. "There will be quite a lot of fun things to do."

While some people will attend scheduled firework shows, many others plan to set off their own.

Riley County Police Department Captain John Doehling said although officers will be making normal patrols on the Fourth, they will not tolerate the use of illegal fireworks.

"We will confiscate illegal fireworks," he said. "This time of year we get a lot of calls about people throwing fireworks at cars or passersby, too."

Doehling said he would advise people who are setting off firecrackers to do it on private property.

Doehling said the best place to set off firecrackers is on a hard, flat surface.

Manhattan Fire Marshall Jim McDiffett said it's important to make sure people are using age-appropriate firecrackers and to always make sure children have adult supervision.

"Sparklers are the number one cause of injury," he said. "And people need to stop throwing firecrackers. They should just light them, lay them down and walk away."

McDiffett said one of his main concerns this year is making sure people remain safe while using potentially dangerous fireworks.

"All it takes is one firecracker to go off in the wrong place," he said.

McDiffett also suggested those setting off fireworks should keep a bucket of water nearby, as it is the best way to extinguish firecrackers, he said.

"The last few years, we've been really lucky and had very minimal calls about firecracker accidents," he said.

Copyright ©2006 Kansas State Collegian via UWire



[ Back to Student Voices ]