The Snohomish County Council’s decision to take more time to study a fireworks ban in unincorporated areas makes sense. As cut and dried as people on both sides of the issue think it is, loose ends remain, particularly regarding enforcement. Time is needed to tie them up.
That doesn’t mean, however, that the council can put this issue aside for another year. The proposal by council member Mike Cooper, a former firefighter, is an important public safety issue. And judging from the sharply-worded letters that appear on this page around July 4 each year, it’s one the public is eager to discuss.
A smart step would be for the council to schedule a public hearing this summer — perhaps shortly after July 4, while the smell of sulfur still lingers — so pertinent questions and concerns can be put on the table.
State law says fireworks bans can’t take effect until a year after they’re adopted, which doesn’t leave enough time for a full airing of the issue in time for a ban to start next year. There’s plenty of time, though, to make everyone safer in 2012. But the council must follow through.
Backyard fireworks are neither safe nor sane, especially in the hands of children who aren’t being adequately supervised, or adults who’ve been drinking. Ask any paramedic or emergency room doctor.
Whether they’re the legal kind sold in supermarket parking lots, or illegal ones taken off Indian reservations, fireworks cause injuries and property damage. Every year. They cause fearful pets to panic and run off. The fun they offer to some is outweighed by the unwelcome mayhem they cause others.
The safe way to enjoy fireworks — and by far the most spectacular — is at a legal, organized public show.
A ban in unincorporated areas would make fireworks illegal in most of the county, building on existing bans in Everett, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Mill Creek, Woodway and Gold Bar.
Organizations that count on fireworks sales for fund-raising will have to shift gears. Perhaps schools that have deep-sixed soda-pop and candy sales can offer helpful advice.
The larger question, and one Sheriff John Lovick would like help answering, is how a ban would be enforced, especially given current budget constraints. Cooper suggests that use of fireworks could be a civil infraction, allowing fire officials and police to issue tickets.
Common sense says it will be impossible to enforce a ban completely. That doesn’t mean it’s not a worthwhile step. Common sense also says that most folks are going to respect the law.
A ban will make a positive difference — even if it doesn’t take effect until 2012.
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