For City Council Meeting [January 12, 2021]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Sean Grayson, Acting City Manager
FROM: Brian Park, Interim Fire Chief
Title
Request City Council to Approve the Continuation of the Ad Hoc Fire Work Committee through August 1, 2021.
Body
BACKGROUND
On July 14, 2020 the Rialto City Council established an Ad Hoc Firework Committee composed of 12 community members. The committee met 10 times from July through November. On November 10, 2020 the Rialto City Council heard a report from the committee and directed staff to consider ballot measures a resolution prohibiting the possession, use, and sale of fireworks in the City. The term of the committee is set to expire on January 14, 2021.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
An Ad Hoc Firework Committee has been working to produce a comprehensive community-based plan to reduce the negative impacts of fireworks in the City of Rialto. This approach is intended to be proactive, integrate existing resources, involve community partners, is efficient and includes measurement criteria for council and the community to assess the effectiveness of the plan.
The Ad Hoc Firework Committee will continue to work with city staff and other key stakeholders to develop and deliver a compressive plan to the City Council for consideration in spring of 2021 that includes; education, engineering, enforcement and equity.
Fireworks Impacts
The impacts of all fireworks are profound throughout the region and within the City of Rialto:
According to the Fireworks Annual Report from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there are an average of 9,000 firework-related emergency room visits in the one-month period surrounding July 4 each year. There were at least eight fireworks-related deaths in 2017, including one fatality caused by sparklers. Children aged 10-14 years were most likely to go to the emergency room from firework injuries; the second most likely group was adults between 20-24 years ...
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