Published: July 01, 2009 11:39 pm      

Shooting fireworks this Fourth?

MPD chief says ordnance will be enforced

Meridian Police Department Chief Benny DuBose realizes the night sky leading up to and immediately after the Fourth of July will be punctuated with the lights and sounds of fireworks.

He also knows as his patrolmen enforce a city ordinance prohibiting the shooting of fireworks in the city of Meridian the MPD will be seen as a party pooper to some — including children.

Nevertheless, the city ordnance is in place and it is the duty of MPD officers to enforce it, he said.

"Sometimes we have to protect the public from themselves," said DuBose, as the holiday weekend approaches. "We've got to do it even though we know it will disappoint some of the children and parents."

One of the unique qualities of the city of Meridian is there are countless acres of wooded areas within the city limits. These wooded areas are close to homes and other property. A scenario in which several acres of woods and heavy undergrowth catch fire and begin to blaze out of control threatening lives, homes and neighborhoods is something Meridian Fire Department Chief Jeff Homan would rather not think about.

"But of course we do have to think about it," said Homan. "An errant bottle rocket or something larger could very easily land in a pile of pine straw and before you know it you have a woods blaze on your hands. This is just another danger the ordnance was intended to prevent."

Although Homan said the MFD can fight woods fires within the city limits, they really aren't suited for such an incident. He said there is no way to get the heavy municipal firefighting equipment into the woods. There is a small truck armed with foam that could make a difference on a fire that hadn't spread too large but there is no way to plan for every kind of hazard or incident.

"We have called in the bulldozers from the Mississippi Forestry Commission in the past to cut fire lanes but the best way to fight those sorts of fires is to not have one in the first place. Prevention is always the best route," Homan said.

DuBose said if someone is caught shooting fireworks of any kind within the city limits of Meridian the parents of the child will be notified of the ordinance and the repercussions of noncompliance. If a second call has to be made to the same location, the fireworks will likely be confiscated and the parents could be issued a misdemeanor charge.

But for those out in the county areas, fireworks can still be fired. County fire officials caution, however, extremely dry conditions are in place. Officials said to have a water source close by in case the fireworks do catch grass on fire. And above all else, read the directions on the fireworks for proper handling guidelines, officials said. Always have a parent supervising the fireworks especially where small children are involved, they said.





Fireworks Ordinance:

According to Meridian Code, Sec. 16-17

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, barter, exchange, give away or distribute, or use or explode within the city any skyrockets, firecrackers, torpedoes, Roman candles, or other explosives commonly known as fireworks, but nothing herein shall prohibit the sale of such commodities by regular wholesalers to dealers outside the city, nor shall this section prohibit licensed displays as provided for in chapter 20 of the Standard Fire Prevention Code.

(b) Any person who violates the terms and provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor and punishable as provided in section 1-9 of this Code, and each separate sale shall be and constitute a separate offense.

The ordnance has been in place since 1962.