INTERNATIONAL FIREWORKS CHAMPIONSHIP

Do you love fireworks? If so, you'll want to be in northern Michigan on September 9 to witness an epic competition being hosted in Traverse City. The first ever International Fireworks Championship will have four of the best exhibitors in the world competing for bragging rights about who can put on the best show. The winner will be chosen by a vote of those in attendance at the competition taking place at the city's Turtle Creek Stadium.

Companies from the United States, Mexico, Germany and France, qualified for this event by winning other fireworks competitions. Now they are facing off to see who is the best in the world! The four finalists battling it out at the International Fireworks Championship are Fantastika Pirotecnia (Mexico), ToF Feuerwerk (Germany), Fetes et Feux (France) and Arthur Rozzi Pyrotechnics (USA).

“This will be a battle of the best-of-the-best,” said Traverse City Tourism Director of Events, Mickey Graham. “The manufacturers will be challenged to choreograph a show with bright colors, bold designs and synchronized to music.”

Ticket sales for the event began today at InternationalFireworksChampionship.com. Prices are $30 for a box seat and $250 for a four-person table in the Fox Motors Den. 12-person and 25-person suites are available by calling Turtle Creek Stadium at (231) 943-0100, while group tickets of ten or more are available at (231) 947-1120.

Don't Blow Your Fourth of July Weekend Fun With A Fireworks Accident

It's that time of year again where tents selling fireworks seem to be on every corner and people enjoy the fun of the booms, crackles, pops and whistles that rocket and sparkle in the warm summer air.  Unfortunately, it is also a time when we hear too many stories of people getting killed or injured from being careless or drunk when enjoying fireworks turning a fun experience into a tragic situation.  The summer started off this year in our community with the news that a 47 year old man died the weekend before the Fourth of July when fireworks he was holding in his hand blew his head into fragments right in front of his horrified family.  Fireworks can be a fun summer time tradition, but please remember to treat them with caution and care because preventable accidents and deaths occur way too often during this time of the year.

Last year 11 people died from consumer fireworks incidents which isn't a huge number in the scope of all things but still were all living, breathing, folks who could still be living their lives today if they weren't essentially screwing around.  One of those deaths occurred locally here too when a 44 year old man was hit in the chest with an errant flying rocket on the Fourth of July.  In addition to the fatalities, 10,500 people were injured by fireworks last year according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

One of those was a high profile Detroit television personality who risked losing a high profile, high paying lucrative job when he lost an eye in a fireworks accident celebrating the Fourth of July in 2014.  Dave Rexroth, the 49 year old chief meteorologist at WXYZ - TV 7 described the incident in a recent interview with the Detroit Free Press newspaper, "a box of repeater mortars - multiple shells that shoot from a box up into the air and explode didn't go off - I went to check on it and it went off in my face."   As a result, he now wears a prosthetic eye.  It could have been worse though he could be blind or even worse dead.  Rexroth notes though "I'm not angry at the fireworks people ... I'm more angry at myself."

With more than $1.89 million in consumer fireworks sales just within Michigan last year, the bulk of those being sold between June and August, you can tell fireworks are a popular source of entertainment. Hey I'd be a hypocrite if I said "don't play with fireworks" as I've celebrated the holiday with them as a kid myself and with my kids as a Dad now. If you are planning on including your own personal fireworks celebration as part of the Fourth of July festivities, here is a friendly reminder on a few tips to keep in mind to keep everyone safe. 

• NEVER allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks, including sparklers.  Parents may not realize how often young children suffer injuries from sparklers.  Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt metal;

• ALWAYS have an adult close by to supervise fireworks activities if older children are allowed to handle devices;

• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or mishap;

• Never try to relight or handle malfunctioning fireworks.  Soak them with water and throw them away;

• Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper, which is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could pose a danger to consumers;

• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers;

• Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse.  Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks;

• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

•  It may not look cool, but consider wearing safety glasses to provide extra insurance your eyes are protected if you are the one lighting the fuses.

• Refrain from drinking alcohol while using fireworks - don't drink and drive / don't drink and shoot fireworks - impaired judgment is one of the leading causes of fireworks deaths and injuries.

Now these seem like obvious and easy rules to follow, yet thousands of people are getting hurt by not being careful enough around fireworks.  This year if you are using fireworks please take a step back and make sure you are being extra cautious and ensuring that only children are of appropriate age and maturity handle them plus are adequately supervised by adults.  We don't want to see anyone's Fourth of July blown apart by a fireworks accident.  Let's all have a fun and safe holiday!

For more information and tips CLICK HERE to visit the website for the NATIONAL COUNCIL ON FIREWORKS SAFETY, an industry trade association promoting responsible consumer behavior with its products.  The AMERICAN PYROTECHNICS ASSOCIATION also has a useful website filled with tips and information about responsible fireworks use.  CLICK HERE to read the Consumer Product Safety Commission's 2014 Fireworks Report that  was released in June 2015 which is an annual summary of accidents and injuries. You can also find useful fireworks safety tips and information from the CPSC here.

Hoping your Fourth of July is a Blast & doesn't end up in a Bang!

You can tell the Fourth of July holiday is approaching as the stands selling fireworks have popped up at nearly every intersection and the evenings start to become filled with the sounds of booms, bangs and hisses.  Enjoy the season, but please be considerate of others and careful when enjoying fireworks.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 200 people PER DAY in the United States end up in an emergency room for treatment for a fireworks related injuries in the month around the Fourth of July.  In fact 60% of all fireworks injuries for the whole year occur in a 30 day span surrounding July 4^th!

As parents we can allow our children to enjoy fireworks but we need to be vigilant about supervising and maintaining safety around them.  Too many parents are being too lax when it comes to fireworks.  The numbers when it comes to childhood injuries involving fireworks are troubling.  According to the CPSC, 29% of fireworks injuries reported involve children 0 – 14.  Another 15% of injuries involve the ages of 15-19.  So almost half of ALL injures involving fireworks impact children.

Of the injuries suffered I found it interesting that only 1% involved arms thought that number would have been higher – the majority of injuries are to hands and fingers 41% with injuries to the head being the second most common with 19%.  More than HALF of ALL injuries were from BURNS so remember that sparklers can be dangerous if not handled responsibly too.  The most common firework injuries are from firecrackers accounting for 23% of injuries with sparklers and bottle rockets tied for second place each with 12%.

The CPSC has put together a nice illustration with this information:  http://www.cpsc.gov/onsafety/2013/06/cpsc-science-fireworks-injuries-2013-update/

I remember running around the front yard with sparklers as a kid and blowing up firecrackers with my dad as a kid.  We have some fun with our kids enjoying fireworks now too.  The numbers involving injuries though are troubling and very preventable.  I’m pointing out this information today so we can all come together to try and make the Fourth of July safer for children.  Every kid should associate the Fourth of July with a fun experience enjoying fireworks rather than a terrible trip to the hospital or even worse a long-term injury or scar that they will associate with the holiday for the rest of their lives.

With that in mind here are some useful safety tips from the CPSC:

•          Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
•          Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
•          Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don't realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.
•          Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
•          Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
•          Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
•          Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
•        Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
•          Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
•          After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.
•          Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.

From my family to yours we are wishing everyone an enjoyable and safe Fourth of July.  Happy Birthday America!