Last year, an elderly Sapulpa woman went to a city council committee meeting, sack full of firework debris in hand, and said she was scared to death after fireworks landed on her roof during the city's Fourth of July festivities.
Fire chief Dannie Whitehouse, moved by her story, decided it was time to recommend changes to Sapulpa's fireworks ordinance.
"It's not worth it to have (fireworks) if you're going to stress people, especially if people are living alone," Whitehouse said. "It just makes for a really rough evening for them."
The city renewed its ban on fireworks use in the city limits, and noncompliance could result in a $249 fine plus court costs, Whitehouse said. Tulsa and Owasso have similar restrictions, with violations carrying fines of $220 and $199 plus costs, respectively.
"It was illegal for years, but a few years ago (city council) passed (an ordinance) and made it legal," he said. "From a public safety standpoint ... You had people that would pick up the rule sheet they're supposed to abide by, but unfortunately a large number of people don't abide by it."
In 2012, the City of Sapulpa sold 105 residential fireworks permits at $20 each, generating $2,100 in revenue. The profits from permit sales weren't enough to offset the costs of extra police enforcement, and fireworks presented a safety hazard to residents that outweighed the benefits of selling permits, Whitehouse said.
"Of course you don't do things to make money when you're government, but you have to be prudent with taxpayer dollars ... it's a more prudent use of taxpayer dollars not to (enforce permit sales)," he said.
On the opposite side of the issue, the City of Jenks' fireworks ordinance became effective last year, and it allows the use of fireworks inside the city limits at specific times. The fireworks permit the city sells is also valid during New Year's Eve, city attorney Stephen Oakley said.
"There was a bill that had been introduced that said any community having a fireworks display must allow fireworks sales," he said. "Jenks has a fireworks display that Los Cabos restaurant sponsors on the pedestrian bridge. In anticipation of that law going into effect, we tried to set up a method to allow that."
Jenks sells its permits for $20, with a special events permit available for $50, which is used when large groups gather to use fireworks, Oakley said.
"(Individuals) need to post their permit in front of their house," he said. "The special permits are good for when, for example, there's a cul-de-sac and everyone wants to get together (around it).
"We'll put some barriers up for them to close the cul-de-sac."
Sand Springs has sold fireworks permits to its residents for the past four years, and fire marshal Stan Smith said the permits have cut back on illegal fireworks use.
"The first couple years after we started the permit, we had violations from not having permits," he said. "But over the years, people seem to have caught on, and everything's gone a lot more smoothly."
Last year, Sand Springs police officers wrote 15 fireworks-related citations, down from 17 in 2011. As of Friday, the city has sold 35 fireworks permits at $20 each, but Smith said the number will multiply.
"This week, though, we will get slammed. We'll wind up selling 100 every day in the last couple of days," he said. "Generally, we wind up selling between 200-250."
Similarly, the City of Claremore's ordinance allowing for fireworks use has been in effect since April 2008. Deputy court clerk Maria Taylor said between 15 and 20 residential permits have been sold as of Friday.
"The last week, though, we'll have a line going out the door with everyone trying to fill out a fireworks permit," she said.
In Claremore, permits cost $25, with a $200 fine for violations. In 2012, the Claremore fire marshal's office issued three citations for fireworks ordinance violations, Taylor said.
Fireworks permits
Bixby
Cost: $20
Purchase at: licensed fireworks vendors or Bixby City Hall
Available: through July 3
Permit allows: Discharge of fireworks between 11 a.m.-11 p.m. July 2-5
Cost of violations: $350 plus costs; discharging fireworks from 11 p.m.-7 a.m. levies a $700 fine
Permits sold in 2013*: about 50 at city hall
Number of citations in 2012: 3
Broken Arrow
Cost: $20
Purchase at: Broken Arrow City Hall or online at the city's website
Available: through July 3; online 24/7 through July 4
Permit allows: Discharge of fireworks between 3-11 p.m. July 3-4
Cost of violations: $274, $499 or $549, depending on severity
Permits sold in 2013*: 252
Number of citations in 2012: 2
Claremore
Cost: $25
Purchase at: Claremore City Hall
Available: through July 3
Permit allows: Discharge of fireworks between noon-11 p.m. July 3-5
Cost of violations: $200
Permits sold in 2013*: 15-20
Number of citations in 2012: 3
Jenks
Cost: $20; $50 special permit available for large groups
Purchase at: licensed fireworks vendors or Jenks Water Department
Available: through July 3
Permit allows: Discharge of fireworks between 3-11 p.m. July 3-5; 11:30 p.m. Dec. 31-12:30 a.m. Jan. 1, 2014
Cost of violations: $200
Permits sold in 2013*: 16 at the water department, with 100 allotted for each of three fireworks stands in the city
Number of citations in 2012: 0
Owasso
Firecrackers, rockets, mortars, etc., are illegal to use in the city limits. Sparklers, smoke bombs and fountains are legal to use.
Cost of citations: $199
Sand Springs
Cost: $20
Purchase at: Sand Springs Fire Administration Office
Available: through July 3
Permit allows: Discharge of fireworks between 6-11 p.m. July 3 and 5 and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. July 4
Cost of violations: $154, with $544 possible for repeated violations
Permits sold in 2013*: 35
Number of citations in 2012: 15
Sapulpa:
Fireworks are illegal to use within the city limits.
Cost of citations: $249
Tulsa:
Fireworks are illegal to use within the city limits.
Cost of citations: $220
*As of Friday, June 28
Sources: city clerks, city attorneys, fire marshals
Samantha Vicent 918-581-8321
samantha.vicent@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: License to celebrate
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