With fireworks in abundance this week and the Fourth of July coming Monday, complaint numbers are sure to pick up.
Emporia Police officers Jaffar Agha and JT Klaurens brought the J and J Morning Show segment to KVOE listeners Thursday. Fireworks complaints have been low so far this week, but they typically increase the day or two before the holiday. Agha explained the department’s general approach towards fireworks complaints.
The legal sales and discharge period goes from 10 am to 10 pm Friday and Saturday, lengthening to 10 am-11 pm Sunday and Monday.
If you plan to shoot off fireworks through the holiday weekend, monitor children closely. Have a water or hose nearby and be sure to have a special disposal container available — away from any buildings — so fireworks don’t smolder and catch fire. You’re also asked to be respectful of others around you.
The city has several do’s and don’ts to keep in mind. Fireworks can’t be discharged from city streets. They also cannot be discharged in park boundaries, the Emporia Golf Course, city parking lots, recreational fields, the David Traylor Zoo, Lee Beran Recreation Center or Jones Aquatic Center parking lots. Fireworks are forbidden within 200 square feet of a hospital, school or nursing home property lines.
