Vaughan fire department offers fireworks safety tips for Victoria Day weekend

Yorkregion.com
May 14, 2015
By Adam Martin-Robbins

Explosions of colour will light up the night sky this long weekend as revelers celebrate Victoria Day with pyrotechnic displays.

But Vaughan’s fire department is urging those planning to set off fireworks Monday to take certain safety precautions.

The city also has a lengthy and detailed set of rules and regulations governing by whom, when and where fireworks can be set off.

The municipal bylaws and more information can be found online at vaughan.ca.

Below is a list of things you can do help ensure no one gets hurt:

• Appoint a responsible person to be in charge. Only adults who are aware of the hazards and essential safety precautions should handle and discharge fireworks.
• Carefully read and follow the label directions on fireworks packaging.
• Always keep a water hose or pail of water close by when discharging fireworks.
• Discharge fireworks well away from combustible materials like buildings, forested areas, brush, leaf piles and dry grass.
• Keep onlookers a safe distance away, upwind from where fireworks are discharged.
• Light only one firework at a time and only when they are on the ground. Never try to light a firework in your hand or re-light dud fireworks. For dud fireworks, it is best to wait 30 minutes and soak them in a bucket of water. Dispose of them in a metal container.
• Discharge fireworks only if wind conditions do not create a safety hazard.
• If someone gets burned, run cool water over the wound for three to five minutes and seek medical attention, if necessary.
  

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