HomeMy WebLinkAbout7-21-2021_open session_General Comment_Rothschild, Joel_End the Fireworks Insanity_RedactedFrom:publiccomments@sbcity.org
To:Public Comments
Subject:Contact Information
Date:Wednesday, July 21, 2021 1:43:37 PM
Notice Text
First Name Joel
Last Name Rothschild
Subject End the Fireworks Insanity
Telephone
Email
Comments My previous comments had a typo. Please use this version instead: Mayor, Councilman Alexander, City Council, City of
San Bernardino Staff, I deeply regret that I am unable to attend this evening's council meeting in person. I will be blunt and brief.
Amateur fireworks in this city need to end now. San Bernardino is one of the few remaining cities in Southern California that
permits the sale of fireworks. This policy is dangerous and sends a conflicting message to the people of this city. I am a veteran and
am aware of the long history this country has had with fireworks as a well to celebrate the 4th of July. However, this tradition has
taken a dark turn over the few years. More and more, the personal fireworks we grew up with have been replaced with larger and
more dangerous shells in the hands of inexperienced residents. Combined with the unprecedented heat and drought, this has literally
turned into a flashpoint. The statistics are staggering. The National Fire Protection Association states that "Fireworks start over
19,000 fires and send over 9,000 people to the Emergency Room each year." This year, this cost was an 8-year boy, a home in
Rialto, and entire neighborhoods in Ontario and Los Angeles. The San Bernardino National Forest is historically one of the most
wildfire prone forests in the country and our wildland urban interface is a flashpoint. In 1980, 286 homes were lost in the Panorama
Fire. In 2003, 330 homes were lost in the Old Fire. Then there was the Blue Cut fire in 2016 which destroyed another 105 homes.
Chief Mike Richwine of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said "The conditions are dry and ready to burn,
and all it takes is a single firework or a single spark." There is not a single fire chief who supports amateur, backyard fireworks. Then
there is the extreme stress this causes to residents and pets. As a combat vet, every time I hear a detonation it puts me back on alert.
And if you haven't read Denver Cooley's heartbreaking story about how fireworks killed her beloved Sadie, you should take a
moment to do so. Over 200 NENA residents responded and commented about how fireworks are devastating this neighborhood.
Four weeks ago, I sent Councilman Alexander an urgent request signed by 100 fire scientists urging the Western U.S. to forgo
fireworks this year. It was followed by an emergency alert from the South Coast Air Quality Management district warning that
backyard fireworks are likely to lead to "very unhealthy air quality." There was no response. Backyard fireworks have no redeeming
value for the city and cause endless harm for the residents. I continue to be dumbfounded by the City of San Bernardino's support for
fireworks. All of the surrounding communities have moved to ban personal fireworks, yet San Bernardino continues to defend its
support for fireworks sales and use. The concept of "safe and sane" fireworks is a pipe dream and a failed policy. Amateur fireworks
pose a risk to the entire community. All of San Bernardino ends up burdening the costs for fire, EMS, and police responses. It is a
cost we cannot continue to shoulder. Please do not wait until our community is decimated to take action. Joel Rothschild
San Bernardino
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