The East Whiteland Fire Company would like to wish our neighbors a happy Fourth of July! We’d like to take this opportunity to relay some safety tips in order to ensure that everyone celebrates America’s birthday safely. According to our friends over at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), every year fireworks on the Fourth of July start an average of 18,500 fires. Fires aren’t the only thing caused by fireworks. In 2017, Emergency Rooms in the United States treated an estimated 12,900 people for fireworks related injuries.

Help minimize the risk of personal injury or fire by following these safety tips:
- In order to eliminate most risk of personal injury or fire it is best to leave the fireworks show to the professionals.
- Whether at home or at a public display, children should never pick up leftover fireworks and sparklers. Some fireworks may still be active or delayed and sparklers could still be hot. Children younger than 15 years were accounted for in more than one-third of estimated 2017 firework related injuries.

While we strongly encourage that our friends and neighbors do not use fireworks and instead opt to watch one of the many fireworks shows in the area, we’d like to pass along these restrictions on the usage of fireworks courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Police:

- They cannot be ignited or discharged on a public or private property without express permission of the property owner.
- They cannot be discharged from or within a motor vehicle or building.
- They cannot be discharged toward a motor vehicle or building.
- They cannot be discharged within 150 feet of an occupied structure.
- They cannot be discharged while the person is under the influence of alcohol, a controlled substance, or another drug.

Further information regarding fireworks in Pennsylvania, please see the Pennsylvania State Police Fireworks FAQ page: http://www.psp.pa.gov/public-safety/pages/fireworks-safety.aspx