Westerville Fire Chief Says Safety First
City Opts Out of New Fireworks Laws Beginning July 2022, a new state of Ohio law regarding fireworks use, discharge and disbursement will take effect, if a City, Village or Township chooses to allow it. This new fireworks law gives Ohioans the ability to discharge, or set off, consumer-grade fireworks on their own property with prior permission from the state of Ohio Fire Marshal and is limited to designated dates. After careful consideration, the City of Westerville has chosen to “opt-out” of this change, keeping the safety of residents and visitors as their top priority. “The safety of our residents and their guests are very important to us,” said Westerville Fire Chief Brian Miller. “Fireworks can be extremely dangerous if not used or supervised properly.” The City is choosing to follow its current Ordinance, which prevents the sale or use of fireworks within City corporate limits. Only novelty fireworks (e.g., sparklers) are allowed, all other fireworks should be left to the professionals. The City of Westerville fireworks Ordinance 1519.04 is available at www.westerville.org/codes. For the full updated State of Ohio fireworks law visit www.ohio.gov.
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT SET FOR AUG. 2 Westerville residents can once again look forward to an opportunity to meet new neighbors and the first responders in the community during National Night Out on Aug. 2. The annual campaign promotes police-community partnerships and builds camaraderie. The evening is designed to: q Heighten crime and
drug prevention awareness q Generate support for
local anti-crime programs
q Promote neighborhood pride and
police-community partnerships q Send a message to criminals that
neighborhoods are organized and fighting back
National Night Out is unique because participating neighborhoods host block parties with activities including potlucks, karaoke, face painting, raffles, police car rides and an appearance from Scruff McGruff. Interested in learning more about how you can participate in National Night Out? Visit www.westerville.org/nno.
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