GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Green Bay Police Department is taking on a partner to keep neighborhoods safe this Fourth of July.
To reduce the overall use of illegal fireworks and related hazards while celebrating Independence Day, the Green Bay Police Department is partnering with the Green Bay Metro Fire Department for fireworks enforcement beginning Friday, June 23, through Tuesday, July 4.
During this initiative, an officer will be joined by a fire marshal during the evening hours to calls related to illegal fireworks complaints. The two will also deliver notification to fireworks vendors within city to discuss what is and is not legal to be sold with and without valid permits, which will then be followed by compliance checks.
Legal fireworks do not leave the ground or explode, while illegal fireworks do.
Green Bay Police Chief, Chris Davis, says this year presents additional dangers with regards to illegal fireworks.
“It is really dry. The fire risks posed by setting off illegal fireworks are probably a lot worse this year than what people in this part of the country are used to,” said Chief Davis.
In the state of Wisconsin, a person who possesses or uses fireworks without a valid permit, or who sells fireworks to a person who does not have a valid permit, is subject to a forfeiture of up to $1,000 per violation. Each firework illegally possessed, used, or sold may be a separate violation.
Examples of Legal Fireworks:
- Sparklers NOT exceeding 36 inches in length
- Stationary cones and fountains
- Toy snakes
- Smoke bombs
- Caps
- Noisemakers
- Confetti poppers with less than 1/4 grain of explosive mixture
- Novelty devices that spin or move on the ground
Examples of Illegal Fireworks without a valid permit:
- Firecrackers
- Roman candles
- Bottle rockets
- Mortars
For more information on fireworks and how to obtain a permit, click here.
