Beachwood Police are latest department to issue illegal use of fireworks warning
We hear the same warnings every summer by towns and police departments warning of the dangers of shooting off fireworks in your backyard or elsewhere.
Most people heed the warnings but others who do not and risk injury to themselves or others, or harming the hearing of people or pets and bringing on PTSD to military veterans.
Beachwood Police followed suit from a recent Brick Police announcement about the safety and legality of fireworks.
You get one warning and one warning only though from Beachwood Police so be sure to listen up.
They remind you that it's illegal to possess, sell or use fireworks anywhere across the state without a valid permit and you can't bring them in from another state.
"Fireworks brought to NJ from other states are illegal and that has not changed," Beachwood Police said on Facebook.
Anyone who fails to adhere to the rules and warnings could be subject to a fine or criminal charges.
"We have had an influx of firework complaints over the last few weeks and it has caused our agency to start issuing summons. This notice is the ONLY warning ⚠️ we are issuing publicly, anyone caught with illegal fireworks will be charged by responding officers. Fireworks are not only illegal, they are extremely dangerous."
Now, to clarify, it's the big booming fireworks that are illegal for residents.
In 2017, Governor Chris Christie made certain fireworks legal but nothing airborne so it's limited to ground based sparklers, snakes, and glow worms, smoke devices and trick noisemakers, including party poppers and snappers.
Fireworks are also pretty dangerous to handle, it's not just a warning to say you can't shoot off fireworks, it's a plea for safety for you and everyone else around you.
Dr. Robert Sweeney, Chairman of Emergency Medicine at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, told Townsquare Media Jersey Shore News in 2017 that unless you're a professional you should avoid shooting off dangerous fireworks for your own safety.
"Every year there are accidents where people light something intending to throw it, the fuse gets short and it blows up in their hand," Sweeney said. "It can do a lot of damage to your hand. Some of these things have a lot of explosive capability."
Safety is always needed even with sparklers.
"A lot of times when people are using these things, particularly sparklers or firecrackers, they tend to get too close to them and then you get sparks or fragments floating up and hitting you in the eye or the face," Sweeney said.
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