Jun 30, 2008 11:22 am US/Pacific
SFPD Issues Warning Over Holiday Fireworks Use
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) ―
San Francisco residents planning Fourth of July pyrotechnic celebrations of their own this week should let the professionals handle it, or face possible prosecution, authorities said Monday.
San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong, speaking at San Francisco Fire Department headquarters Monday morning alongside officials from the Fire Department, San Francisco District Attorney's Office and the U.S.
Coast Guard, noted that the possession, sale or use of fireworks, including so-called "safe and sane" fireworks sold in other jurisdictions, are all illegal in the city and county of San Francisco.
"For the safety of individuals and the protection of property, whether buildings or park areas, people should obey the laws prohibiting fireworks within San Francisco," Fong said.
According to Fong, her department has already seized 3,000 pounds of illegal fireworks in San Francisco this year, nearly the same amount seized in all of 2007 in the city, she said. Additional resources will be deployed during the Fourth of July holiday to prevent the use of and confiscate illegal fireworks, she said.
Laws against celebratory gunfire during fireworks displays will also be strictly enforced, Fong said.
"People think that it's fun to fire a handgun off," Fong said, but "When a bullet is shot . . . that bullet will land somewhere," and could be potentially fatal, she said.
"We in the District Attorney's Office are committed to prosecuting these cases to the fullest extent of the law," said Chief Assistant District Attorney Russ Giuntini.
Misdemeanor possession of fireworks can bring a fine of up to $1,000 or a year in county jail, while possession of the stronger explosives, such as M-80s or M-1000s, is a felony that could result in prison time.
Of the so-called "safe and sane" fireworks, which include sparklers that can reportedly reach temperatures of 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, "We believe they are neither," said San Francisco Fire Marshal Barbara Schultheis.
Various jurisdictions in the Bay Area, including nearby San Bruno, sell those brands but in San Francisco they are illegal and potentially dangerous, according to fire officials.
"We certainly want to keep fireworks out of everyone's hands, especially the hands of children," said Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. She urged celebrants to enjoy the various public fireworks displays "set off by trained professionals," such as the one Friday night at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.
"We want to make sure that this is a holiday that everyone can enjoy . . . and safely," Hayes-White said.
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