ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The 4th of July holiday might seem far away to some, but for potential fireworks vendors, their work before serving customers will have to begin soon.
There have been some changes for vendors, which will come into play in Liberal, according to Liberal Fire Chief Kelly Kirk.
“As I said at the last Liberal City Commission meeting, back in April, Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law Senate Bill 199 regulating the selling of and use of fireworks in the state of Kansas,” Kirk said. “According to information we received from the state fire marshal's office, one of the major changes was the period of time when fireworks can be sold, that period is extended from nine days to 18 days. That means seasonal fireworks will now be permitted to be sold from June 20 through July 7. Seasonal fireworks stands are still permitted and inspected at the local level, not the Kansas State Fire Marshal's office. Probably the biggest thing the new law did was create a new type of fireworks retail operation, and it's the permanent fireworks retailer, who will be permitted to sell consumer fireworks year-round. Unlike the seasonal fireworks retailers, they'll be required to have a building that operates permanently within the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the national standards and the Kansas Fire Prevention Code. One of the smaller things in the new law include a requirement for all consumer fireworks sales to be in person, you can't have anything shipped to you. Kansas law still doesn't restrict when fireworks can be shot off during the year, but it's still illegal to fire them at cars or from cars or under cars, within 100 feet of hospitals or nursing homes or similar facilities, retail fireworks stands, gas stations/fueling stations, etc. What all of that means for us cities and counties is the Kansas Fire Prevention Code still grants us the authority to prohibit and regulate the sale/handling of fireworks within our boundaries, and we still have control over when they're sold and/or discharged.”
Kirk added there was a lot that came up during subsequent discussions.
“We knew we probably wouldn't want to change very much and would want to keep what we've already got in place since it's been working well since it got passed eight years ago, and each year even seems to get a little better, it seems like,” Kirk said. “It was a great opportunity for us to address some issues with licensure at the City of Liberal level – if someone wants a license to be a seasonal fireworks vendor, they need to do that by June 10, and what that extra time does is it allows the Building Department and Liberal Fire Department to go out and do the inspections and background checks and all of that necessary work. We also made a change in the way we're collecting those licensing fees, the payment now has to be a money order, a certified cashier's check or cash, and the fee is $2,500. Another change, which had been recommended by the state and our insurance companies, is with public fireworks displays, the required amount for public liability insurance was raised from $500,000 to $1,000,000. Our biggest local display is the show after the Liberal Bee Jays game, and the gentleman that coordinates that is already in excess of that, so there's not too much of an effect there. We also addressed the most frequent complaint we receive, which is the number of days fireworks can be shot off – throughout the years, there's been a lot of rubbish and debris left in the streets and a lot of after-hours noise. This year, fireworks will be able to be shot off from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 3 and then from 8 a.m. to midnight on July 4. In the past, we've allowed fireworks to be shot off from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 3 and 5 and 8 a.m. to midnight on July 5, and the noise complaint was the biggest thing we heard, so we did change from three days of shooting off fireworks to two days, and that will be the rule going forward with the exception of if July 4 lands on a Friday, in which case fireworks will be allowed to be shot off July 4 and 5 to allow people to take advantage of that Saturday.”
For fireworks vendors wanting to do business in Liberal, Kirk said it is better to get the paperwork turned in sooner rather than later.
“We definitely encourage potential vendors to get in their paperwork sooner rather than later so it can get processed and everything, and it also allows for some extra time to make corrections if something is missing or needs updated,” Kirk said. “And if any vendor has any questions or concerns, they're more than welcome to call the LFD office at (620) 626-0128, and we'll be happy to help. The Building Department and LFD will also do their needed inspections to make sure everything is good to do. If you get your paperwork in before June 10, it should be relatively smooth sailing. Locally, we tend to have anywhere between five and 10 fireworks stands, so it's not overly burdensome. There really aren't very many restrictions to vendors in terms of location, but they can't be set up by hospitals or nursing homes or similar public facilities, gas stations/fueling stations, etc. As long as everything is set up in a clear and open space and everything is easily maneuverable, there really shouldn't be too many problems. Some vendors choose to rent a building and set up that way. There's actually not very much restriction in that regard. Any fireworks not allowed by the State of Kansas are not allowed in Liberal, and that includes fireworks like bottle rockets and what we used to call cherry bombs. Otherwise, everything else is allowed.”
Overall, Kirk said, there are not typically any issues working with fireworks vendors.
“For the most part, the vendors we deal with are pretty well-versed in terms of requirements and regulations since it's something they do over and over again. And again, if anyone has any questions, they're more than welcome to get in touch with us and/or the Building Department to make sure they've got the right checklist,” Kirk said. “Everyone we work with is typically very cooperative and knows we're pretty strict in terms of our ordinance and everything else, which is good. With the inspections, we go through and make sure everything is set up safely and properly with the appropriate signage that includes what we have in our ordinance so everyone knows what our regulations are. We also make sure the appropriate fire extinguishers are in place and make sure the aisles are easy to maneuver. Like everything else, we want to make sure everything is safe for the vendors and their customers.”
Kirk added he and LFD staff hope for a safe and happy 4th of July holiday.
“People should be aware, for this year, we're going to have increased enforcement of the hours fireworks can be shot off. Like I say every year, we want everyone to have a happy and fun holiday, but it's also good practice to be a decent and respectful neighbor, so don't be shooting off your fireworks until the wee hours,” Kirk said. “If we do get a complaint about you, we'll stop by and remind you of the ordinance, and if we have to come and talk to you multiple times, you'll probably receive a citation and some other type of punishment.”
