Fire departments emphasize firework safety
Central Texas fire departments are using creative messaging to remind people about the rules and dangers associated with fireworks.
Texas – Central Texas fire departments are using creative messaging to remind people about the rules and dangers associated with fireworks.
The Round Rock Fire Department posted a video featuring Elmo, while Cedar Park and New Braunfels shared photos of their firefighters with the captions “Leave the fireworks to Katy Perry” and “911 is not for ‘annoying’ fireworks.”
The Georgetown Fire Department incorporated TikTok trends and crowd favorites, Koda the fire dogIn his videos on social media.
“She’s the star of community engagement in general,” said Deputy Fire Marshal Jonathan Gilliam. “When you add a little comedy to it, it really engages people a little bit.”
Comedy aside, the real message this Fourth of July from Coda and surrounding departments is to know what’s legal and what’s not. If it’s legal, learn how to do it safely to prevent injury and prevent fires.
“Historically, last year we saw about a 50% increase in calls,” said Capt. Trevor Stokes with Travis County ESD No. 2.
Also known as the Pflugerville Fire Department, it serves City of Pflugerville Along with unincorporated areas of the county where fireworks are legal.
“We recommend that there be a source of water, a hose available, a bucket full of water to dispose of the fireworks after they are completely burned so they don’t still catch fire,” said Captain Stokes. “We’ve also noticed that people sometimes take fireworks and put them in plastic trash cans. A lot of people have those trash cans lying around on the side of their street. Unless you want to put them there. They’ve been soaking in water for a while.”
Captain Stokes also noted that sparklers can get extremely hot and potentially dangerous, and children should always be supervised.
in Georgetown and other Williamson County cities, fireworks are illegal within 5,000 feet of city limits.
“I would say enjoy the fireworks we put on in the park,” Gilliam said. “It will help keep us safe and help our firefighters run calls throughout the night.”
For a list of fireworks shows around Central Texas, click here.