Typically, the Newman Regional Health emergency room is a pretty busy place during the July 4 fireworks sales and discharge period. But Director Damian O’Keefe says that wasn’t the case this year.
KVOE News file photo.
O’Keefe says the victim suffered hand burns after not letting go of a firework. That person’s name and age are not being released.
O’Keefe says the emergency room is normally staffed by trauma-certified nurses on a daily basis, so the unit does not need any special staffing to get through the Fourth of July holiday period. He says adult supervision is needed whenever children are around fireworks. He also suggests having a 5-gallon bucket of water on hand to limit any risk of secondary fires — such as what happened early July 5, when improperly stored fireworks caught a 55-gallon plastic barrel on fire. The blaze then transitioned to a nearby barn, destroying that building.
