City Government
261 Illegal Fireworks Complaints
July 5, 2006 
UPDATED REPORT
Boise Dispatch reported 261 illegal fireworks complaints from 8pm to 1:30 a.m. Overall there were 400 calls for service during the five hour period. There were 31 fire calls and 19 medical assist calls.
Total calls for the day numbered 2,477–a 1,766 jump over last year.
Based on comparision with 2005, we would have to call the enforcement effort a resounding failure. Even with all the media play, TV ads starring Mayor Dave Bieter, and threats of tickets, there were nearly as many fire calls in 5 hours as there were during the entire 24 hour period a year ago. The Boise sky was filled with illegal fireworks. Spent bottle rockets in our yard and a casual view over the valley on the 4th, prompts us to say there were more illegal fireworks than ever.
Boise Fire Department Deputy Chief Dave Hanneman said the department will evaluate the enforcement efforts and costs and pass the data along to the City’s decision makers. The prolonged thunderstorm probably did more to put a damper on wild and crazy fireworks fires than all the tickets in the world.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Jul 5, 2006, 9:39 am
And where were the illegal fireworks obtained? Why allow the sales of ANY fireworks when the cost in safety to person and property can be so great. I think it is past time to simply declare all personally ignited fireworks to be illegal to sell, to buy and to set off.
(signed) Another grumpy old guy,
Adrien.
Jul 5, 2006, 11:37 am
The law that allows the sales, but not the use, of illegal fireworks is assinine. The people who buy them lie, and the people who sell them lie. The declaration they sign indicating they will be transported out of state for use is an insane way of trying to account for it. Basically lawmakers have cowed to those who make their living selling this stuff, and it’s time we all require them to outlaw the sales and ignition of these dangerous explosives. I will work with my lawmakers to ensure something is presented. Count me as grumpy too.
Jul 5, 2006, 1:57 pm
Selling illegal fireworks in the county and then trying to police their use is just another example of the county leaders failing to lead.
This is like Boise City Council and the Boise Chamber of Commerce saying that they support a vibrant downtown and then they do nothing to have a 4th of July parade or a city fireworks display. They all blame someone else and show NO leadership.
The Chamber of Commerce takes ALL the money from the “State of the City” address – they should give it ALL back to the citizens and pay for a fireworks display. If they do not it simply shows their greed and that the money is more important than the sprit of the City. It is all about the money period.
Both groups create the problem – not solve it.
The problem is those we elected – the solution is to remove them.
Jul 5, 2006, 3:31 pm
Now if only they could cite Thor for all the lightning strikes — which did a lot more damage than the illegal fireworks!
As for banning sales of illegal-to-use fireworks in Ada — might help some, but lots of folks around the area still drive to Wyoming or the various Indian reservations where they can buy all kinds of beautiful-but-dangerous goodies. So a ban might just please the Arab oil-sellers and rile folks who already face too much traffic congestion.
(An aside: When I was a kid in Arizona, they banned sales of bang-bang fireworks to minors — but we could still get dynamite easily. And, yep, some did, then cut the sticks into short pieces, affixed fuses, and had some really big bangs.)
Ah, well, we all know how well Prohibition worked on booze, and how well it’s eliminating all the nasty drugs some people continue to use. There ain’t no perfect world, folks.
Jul 5, 2006, 11:06 pm
And then there was the local TV station that aired the story of where you could legally buy illegal fireworks. That was really smart!
Apparently there is a no mans land in the fireworks world somewhere between Boise and Meridian. If I recall correctly, it’s on Franklin Road. As long as you sign the paperwork saying you’ll take the fireworks out of state, it’s legal to purchase illegal fireworks. I agree with Tam. This is asinine.
I thought I saw some noses getting bigger as the buyers and sellers were being interviewed. Perhaps it was just the camera angle. Gosh those closeups of the declarations being signed sure were nice.
Maybe the story aired to meet FCC “balance” requirements.
Is there some type of Dope TV Station award?
JQP