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Two fireworks workers hurt, one seriously, at Glendale 4th of July display
Two fireworks workers hurt, one seriously, at Glendale 4th of July display
GLENDALE -- Two fireworks workers were hurt at the Glendale fireworks show at Kletzsch Park on Monday evening, July 4th. Experts say it goes to show that even for professionals, putting on an amazing fireworks display comes with some risk.
Thankfully, as of Tuesday, July 5th, both of the injured workers were at home.
"Just like at any job, you can have a fluke accident," Lt. Dan Tyke with North Shore Fire Rescue said.
One worker, a man in his 20s, suffered a serious injury when a firework misfired -- blowing up inside the tube. The pieces of tube caused "shrapnel" injuries.
The man was taken to Columbia St. Mary's for serious but non-life threatening injuries. He was treated and released.
A second worker suffered injuries described as very minor -- and did not warrant hospitalization.
"There`s an inherent risk in providing that type of show, but they`re professionals so let them do the work," Lt. Tyk said.
Dolan Pomrening with American Fireworks says such accidents show why any amateurs need to be especially cautious.
"I do a lot of shows for the company here personally, so I know the feeling of something malfunctioning when it`s not supposed to," Pomrening said.
Pomrening offered three safety tips:
"If something goes wrong, you just gotta be prepared. You gotta have proper safety gear, and you gotta keep your audience set back," Pomrening said.
Pomrening recommends having a safety bucket, and if you're buying rockets, shoot them from a designed rocket launcher, which costs just $5.
Even with sparklers, officials say you should be sure to put them out in a bucket of water to reduce the risk of starting a fire.
Officials recommend leaving the explosives to the experts.
"While they`re not immune -- we learned that (Monday) night -- they definitely have the equipment and are ready to provide the service and give you a great show," Lt. Tyk said.
Despite these incidents, North Shore Fire Rescue officials said the fireworks show at Kletzsch Park proceeded as planned.