The City of Fort Scott recently wanted to clarify the ordinance on fireworks, with Independence Day celebrations just around the corner.
“The change came when we looked at the ordinance the city had which just stated a basic fire code,” said FS Deputy Fire Chief Mike Miles, who is also the fire marshall. “It did not give any directions or guidance. So we wanted to give the city and law enforcement as well as the citizens a better understanding.”
“The biggest change is now residents can shoot fireworks from the time (firework) retailers are able to sell,” he said. “It used to just be the 4th of July. Now they can shoot from June 27 to July 4th. Time frames are 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. And up to midnight on the 4th.”
There was a change to prohibit fireworks in city parks.
“There are also other locations we chose to enforce no shooting during the firework display the city puts on,” Miles said. “All city parks are also prohibited from shooting at.”
“The ordinance just gives the basic concepts of firework discharging,” he said. “This also gives a better understanding with the circumstances spelled out. Law enforcement with this ordinance has a better way to enforce the policies. The previous ordinance just stated a fire code, which was pretty vague.”
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