* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Welch
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
In Support of Fireworks Safety Month
FOR the purpose of celebrating Fireworks Safety Month by reminding Baltimore City youth and their parents that it is illegal to use or even have fireworks in Baltimore City and sharing the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's warning to youth about the dangers of fireworks.
Body
Recitals
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission makes a special effort to warn children about the dangers of fireworks in an age-appropriate publication that the City Council urges the children of Baltimore to pay particular attention to:
Hot Stuff
"Fireworks - Hot Stuff?
Fireworks are hot stuff - but not the kind you want to get near.
Thousands of kids go to the hospital emergency rooms with injuries from fireworks every year. Most injuries occur around the Fourth of July.
Fireworks injuries can be pretty gross - like losing your eyes or hands or fingers. Here are some kids' stories - every one of them true.
· A 12 year-old, celebrating his team's basketball championship, lost an eye when he and his friends set off fireworks. He now wears a glass eye.
· A 7 year-old boy lost half his left hand when he ignited an M-80 firework found hidden in a family bedroom. The M-80 exploded in the boy's hand.
· An 8 year-old girl was badly burned on her leg when a sparkler ignited her dress.
· Three teenage boys shot a Roman Candle firework into a large wooded area. Fourteen acres burned before the fire was extinguished.
· Two boys, 8 and 10, were seriously burned on their arms when a bottle rocket exploded in their garage. The garage and a car were totally destroyed.
· An 8 year-old boy lost three fingers after igniting an M-80 firework on the kitchen stove. The victim was on his way outside when the device exploded in his hand.
The stories get worse. Kids have died.
· A 12 year-old girl in San Antonio, Texas was killed when a bottle rocket, set off by a 6 year-old neighbor, struck her in the head.
· A 17 year-old boy from Shawano, Wisconsin was playing with a fireworks device that exploded - and killed him.
· An 8 year-old boy from Selmer, Tennessee was killed when he and his brother played with fireworks in their grandmother's yard.
There are tons of stories like these - all sad, but true.
So, stay away from the hot stuff.
It's a lot cooler."
Baltimore's children should pay attention to this warning meant especially for them, and Baltimore parents, grandparents, guardians, and older sisters and brothers should help keep our kids safe by not supplying them with fireworks - devices whose potential to cause harm far outweighs any small burst of delight they may provide.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body celebrates Fireworks Safety Month by reminding Baltimore City youth and their parents that it is illegal to use or even have fireworks in Baltimore City and shares the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's warning to youth about the dangers of fireworks.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Community Associations of the Planning Department Directory, the Fire Chief, the Police Commissioner, the Commissioner of Health, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
dlr 03-0319~intro/11Jun08
ccres/firesaftymnth/nf
dlr 03-0319~intro/11Jun08
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ccres/firesaftymnth/nf