It's the 4th of July and
once again huge private fireworks displays are going on in our
neighborhood – blasts that last for hours. I live in the middle of a
large residential community just a few blocks from institutions like
SOMC and Hillview Retirement Center. I wonder how people at these
facilities feel about the din of these inescapable private holiday
displays. In fact, I wonder if it even matters to their celebratory
neighbors.
While some in the
neighborhood do enjoy the loud explosions and colorful displays, I
cannot say I am a big fan. The length of the shows and the continuous
reports of the fireworks – which seem so much louder than the old
typical family “pops” and “cracks” once commonly associated
with the holiday – make the evening an intense experience that
certainly shatters peace and quiet.
Maybe I am not partial to
these private displays because I'm now a old geezer. I admit I am a
cranky old man who is now much fonder of gentler pleasures than
explosive encounters. I don't know why I have changed. Call me “over
the hill” and a “stick in the mud.” As a younger man, I was on
the other side of that hill and my stick was not stuck in the
geriatric mire. I accept my infirmities. I do still love fireworks in
what I consider their proper place. Now, I feel I am entitled to
relate my honest irritation to these big neighborhood shows.
The fireworks’ loud,
unpredictable bangs and whizzing explosions can have negative effects
on many people. Veterans with PTSD, children on the autism spectrum,
survivors of gun violence, pets, and even wildlife routinely suffer
on July 4th. Fireworks are dangerous and, used improperly, they can
kill and maim. Individuals most at risk are small children, the
elderly, and people with existing respiratory conditions.
I am a pet owner, and I
see my dogs' frightened reactions to the continual displays. During
these fireworks shows, animal owners like me must keep their
frightened dogs, cats and other pets inside the house, so that the
animals are safe and can’t run away.
Even inside the house,
many suffer. Consider a dog’s hearing is many times more acute than
a human's. Dogs can hear up to 60,000hz while humans only hear
20,000hz. Fireworks, which arrive without warning, can trigger a
“startle response” in dogs, generating acute anxiety and fear in
a situation they can’t understand. Just like in people, the startle
response causes racing hearts, a surge of adrenalin, and a need to
flee. Shelters routinely report an influx of lost dogs after the 4th
as terrified animals run for their lives. According to the ASPCA,
more dogs get lost on the Fourth of July than any other day of the
year.
Loud noises can sometimes
be a trigger for veterans who suffer from PTSD. The unexpected nature
of the fireworks is probably the worst part. Hyperarousal, a core
component of PTSD, occurs when a person is hyper-alert to any sign of
threat – the victim is constantly on edge, easily startled and
continuously screening the environment.
Although not every
individual who lives with PTSD may be affected by fireworks, many
veterans are stepping up to raise awareness of those who might be. In
2015, Kevin Rhoades, a Marine veteran who suffers from PTSD, planted
a sign outside his home: “Combat Veteran Lives Here. Please Be
Courteous with Fireworks.”
Rhoades said in an
interview, “ It’s not that I don’t want people to have fun. On
the Fourth of July I’m going to pop my own fireworks. But when you
get woken up at two, three o’clock in the morning, it brings back
those memories.”
I guess, not that it
matters to most, but what does Ohio law say about fireworks? The Ohio
fireworks law states that of the many types of fireworks, only a
small percentage may be legally used in Ohio. These types are known
as "novelty" fireworks and include things like sparklers,
snaps, glow snakes and smoke bombs. These items are sold across the
state and may be used by anyone for their festivities.
Excluding those few items,
all other fireworks and pyrotechnics cannot be fired legally in the
state of Ohio without a license. While some fireworks, known as
"consumer" fireworks, including items such as firecrackers
and bottle rockets, can be legally purchased by anyone over the age
of 18, the purchaser must sign a form stating that they will
transport the fireworks outside of the state within 48 hours.
A further restricted
category of fireworks, known as "exhibitor" fireworks, are
limited to discharge by licensed exhibitors. These are the large,
colorful types of fireworks typically seen at city celebrations and
festivals.
The loud booms and whizzes
I hear in my home seem to be in the “exhibitor” category. I know
these displays are so intense that they disturb the peace of those
living many blocks away. In fact, the explosions are so extensive I
wonder how citizens can afford the expense of the private shows. The
close proximity of houses here makes hours of display inadvisable
for the city – fire hazards do exist.
One solution to the
Portsmouth noise pollution on the 4th of July is simply to
move fireworks displays to safer, more rural areas. Of course,
government permission to designate such places “safe zones” flies
in the face of current state law which prohibits the larger, more
powerful fireworks. Still, an open field some distance from residents
– say maybe a location near the Scioto River – would be much more
conducive to containing the clamor and thus, less likely to rattle
the bones of homeowners.
And, there is another easy
way to change the celebrations – by lowering the impact of the
loud, sudden, unpredictable, percussive noises that come with
fireworks. “Silent” fireworks can deliver the same cascading
colors but without the formidable decibels and startling explosions
that erupt in the night sky.
While these silent
fireworks are stunning, they lack the big explosive power that drives
mega-displays high into the air for viewing by thousands. Yet, they
are ideal for smaller events. The trade-off in scale is a welcome one
for the many for whom these celebrations bring discomfort.
“Silent” fireworks
aren’t a new invention. In fact, they have been around for a long
time as part of regular fireworks displays, including the “comet
display” that shoots into the air with a long sparking tail, or the
“flying fish” whose scattering sparkles swim out from a silent
boom like little tadpoles. These fireworks actually display the most
stunning colors, more so than big explosions.
The most explosive
fireworks, the ones with the biggest booms, have little color because
the force can shatter the pellets that carry the little “stars”
that emit signature colors of green, red, and blue. Despite the name,
these more colorful fireworks aren’t entirely silent, but they are
significantly quieter, registering at far below the typical 150-170
decibels of the loud fireworks, which can cause hearing damage.
So, private, exhibitor
fireworks shows can be designed to please the eyes without pummeling
the ears. Designers of quiet fireworks programs can forgo the big
explosions and still deliver a stunning show. Who knew? The hope is
that softer celebrations mean less stress for noise-sensitive
children, veterans, older people, pets and wildlife.
“We’ve seen more
competitors in the last decade or so,” said Rino Sampieri, a senior
display manager at Fantastic Fireworks, a company based in England
that started selling a quiet fireworks package 30 years ago. “Today,
quiet fireworks are part of everybody’s inventory.”
(Steph
Yin. “‘Quiet Fireworks’ Promise Relief for Children and
Animals.”
So-called "quiet
fireworks" have yet to take off in the United States, but are
being pushed as an alternative that would reduce the impact of
fireworks on pets, kids and others who are sensitive to loud sounds.
People can get these fireworks online from companies like Epic
Fireworks and from small fireworks stands across the country.
Now that you've read my
concerns, I'm sure you are still going to conduct your 4th
of July fireworks displays any way you want. As you say, “It is my
damned right as a red, white, and blue, 'Merican.” So, if you
choose the big bangs over less noisy alternatives, maybe you might
still consider that old farts – dinosaurs like me soon to be
crossing the Rainbow Bridge – and their aged, furry best friends,
are in your beer-goggled midst.
Could you at least keep
the racket to one night and to a relatively short time within
reasonable hours? If you don't, grandpa may just get so worked up
he'll write some stupid blog entry that no one will read. And, you
know you don't want him to do that. By the way, why wasn't he invited
to the party, anyway?
"Silent" Fireworks
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