![]() ![]() From whom should retailers purchase fireworks to sell in the District of Columbia?Īny person wishing to purchase fireworks for sale in the District of Columbia shall only purchase their products from an approved wholesaler seller, whose products have been tested by the Office of the Fire Marshal for sell in the city. Who should I buy my fireworks from?Įvery citizen in the District of Columbia should only purchase fireworks from a licensed vendor. What are the penalties for using illegal fireworks?Īny person found engaging in the use or possession of illegal fireworks in the District of Columbia could face fines and penalties up to $1,000 and/or arrest for further prosecution. What can I do if I see someone engaging in illegal fireworks use or sales?Īs a citizen of the District of Columbia, it is your duty to report the use of illegal fireworks use or sales to the DC Fire Marshals office at (202) 727-1600 for immediate action. Which fireworks products are illegal in DC?įirecrackers or fireworks that explode, such as cherry bombs, salutes, Roman candles, floral shells, and artillery shells. Sparklers less than 20 inches, torches, box fire, fountains, cones, dip sticks, non-poisonous snakes, paper novelty items, colored lights, and paper caps. Each year, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks.What types of fireworks are legal in the District of Columbia? Fire Safetyįireworks are responsible for thousands of fires and injuries each year. Our partners in East Palo Alto and other jurisdictions are diligently patrolling their neighborhoods too and responding to these calls themselves, but they have the same challenges with enforcement that we do. When we have very few witnesses overnight (other than aural “witnesses”), and considering our officers have to be in the right place at exactly the right time to witness a violation themselves, enforcement is difficult. In order to make an arrest or to issue a citation, an officer needs to be able to witness the violation or otherwise catch those responsible in possession of fireworks, or alternately, have a witness who can identify the suspect be willing to sign a private person’s arrest. With that said, there are a number of challenges to enforcement of fireworks laws. If they do not hear a neighboring city responding to a call, or if there receive other information from the caller that indicates the noise is originating in our jurisdiction, they type up a formal call for service and send PAPD officers to investigate right away. ![]() In those situations, the dispatchers try to inform the caller that the noise is coming from a neighboring city and that officers from that city’s police department are responding to investigate. Our dispatchers are constantly monitoring radio traffic in adjoining cities, and are able to hear when the East Palo Alto Police Department or Menlo Park Police Department are working a fireworks or gunshots call in their jurisdiction. We encourage people to call us when they hear the fireworks anyway, as it may help us understand generally where they are occurring. While it is most helpful to receive reports where our residents can see the fireworks to report an actual or suspected location, we fully realize that is not possible during the overnight hours when our residents are sleeping and being awakened by this noise. Learn About the City’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response.Doing Business with the City (Bid Opportunities). ![]()
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