Jacksonville, FL

As the July 4 holiday approaches, we will be treated to multiple fireworks displays. I’m not talking about the officially sanctioned public displays.

I’m talking about John or Josie Q. Public lighting up the sky courtesy of a personal display that likely cost at least as much as a week’s groceries. For a family of four. From inland neighborhoods to the beaches, Jacksonville will boom and crackle with the best of them beginning Tuesday.

Since moving to Jacksonville, I’ve learned this place is crazy for fireworks. Any holiday will do. My native state of Carolina is pretty fond of fireworks too, but Jacksonville is the first city I’ve lived in where people lit up the sky and broke the sound barrier at Easter.

We’ve had a long-running drought going, so I’m hoping people who like to do their own displays will use some common sense. For those who plan to send something into the sky, I hope they’ll aim it somewhere besides my roof.

I also hope the larger boom items will go mute by 1 a.m. Big sounds in the wee hours will set our hound dog off.

I also hope parents bear in mind that while little Sam might really enjoy holding those bottle rockets in his hand, and maybe even aiming them at his buddies, neither move is a good idea. Fireworks can burn, blind and inflict other injuries on a child or an adult.

Mark A. Sibley, M.D., offers very good tips at the Florida Eye Center site, and he also provides a sobering prediction. He was speaking about fireworks on New Year’s Eve, but it bears repeating: “As past president of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology, I pass on the society’s prediction that more teenage boys will be blinded in fireworks injuries New Year’s Eve than from any other cause this year.”

The Northwest Florida Daily News points out in a recent article that a new law takes effect July 1, prohibiting counties or cities from banning the use or sale of legal fireworks. Since we’ve long been able to purchase any type of firework imaginable, I’m thinking this is one of those overkill laws.

Meanwhile firefighters, emergency crews and law enforcement are guaranteed they’ll see some sort of action due to fireworks in Florida. It’s July 4. Here in Jacksonville, that translates to a hotbed of personal fireworks opportunities.

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