Officials promote firework safety over Fourth of July holiday

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla — With the Fourth of July right around the corner, Orange County Fire Rescue and Orlando Health have teamed up to help keep kids safe when using fireworks.

Arnold Palmer hospital trauma director Don Plumlee says this weekend is one of the busiest for fireworks-related injuries in children.

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“We always approach this weekend with trepidation and say it’s really busy. Last year we had 17 children injured with fireworks we usually see maybe one or two a month” he said.

With more people gathering for Fourth of July celebrations this year than in 2020, there’s a higher likelihood of more injuries.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were approximately 10,000 firework-related injuries that were treated in U.S. hospitals in 2019.

Children ages 4 and under had the highest number of ER visits with just over five of every 100,000 people injured.

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Many injuries come from relatively “safe” fireworks like sparklers and fountains.

In Florida, consumers can only purchase fireworks on specific holidays, Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

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Sparklers and fountains are legal for consumer purchase in the State of Florida year-round.

More information on fireworks safety can be found here.

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