The City's published press release promising to better enforce existing fireworks regulations was interesting. So much for better enforcement, right? It's time to renew our "ban consumer fireworks in our City" efforts.
So, let's review: this year we have a guy in Bellingham who blew himself up building his own "super" fireworks, a fellow in Ferndale who will lose his hand due to mishandling fireworks, a fire on the train trestle across the Bellingham Mudflats and a guy setting off fireworks in the street in Sunnyside who was hit by a car and died. Fortunately, only one of these incidents has been in the city limits.
But what has - and continues to - happen is a blatant flaunting of the law. According to recently released 911 information provided by Lieutenant Robert Vander Yacht, Patrol Commander of the Bellingham Police Department, who wrote,
"The demand on police and dispatchers related to 4th of July activities has steadily increased from 2009 to 2011. In 2009, with limited available data, it would appear that 4.3% of our call load stemmed from fireworks. In 2010 this rate climbed to 8.7%. In 2011 17% of our activity involved fireworks." That's roughly a yearly doubling of 911 calls related to fireworks each year since 2009.
Despite the extensive - and applaudable - efforts of the Bellingham Police and Fire Departments, the insanity continues. Bellingham's consumer fireworks regulations are, simply stated, unenforceable. Although many still believe that a total ban like more than 50-other cities in Washington is long overdue in Bellingham, perhaps other approaches to this situation exist. So, if any of you who have endorsed the on-line petition have some other ideas, please advise, OK?
