June 27, 2018
Making the Fourth of July pop Fireworks bring fun and business dollars to St. Charles County along with requiring some extra care to ensure a safe holiday
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By Brett Auten From the frantic electronic store clerk on Black Friday to the harried floral designer on Valentine’s Day; Chris Sander can relate. His livelihood too is dependent on a few fervent weeks every year. Sander is the President of Powder Monkey Fireworks Inc. located at 5130 Westwood Dr. in Weldon Spring. From June 20 through July 5, he and his team cater to every minor and major whim for those who like to make things go flash, boom and bang in and around the Fourth of July holiday. From morning until well into the night, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., every day during the stretch, his tent – with enough square footage to match that of any strip mall store – is filled with Black Cats, Roman candles, fountains and tons more. “It’s the same as any seasonal job except it is outside, in the heat and in a tent,” he said. “There are a lot of backyard shows. Customers will buy one pack of snaps or a whole trailer full.” Sander, who lives in St. Peters, has been in the retail end of the fireworks season since he was 14. The former Hazelwood resident worked at Fireworks City for eight years before heading to the University of Missouri to study business. He invests in annual trips to China to meet with vendors and to get a gauge on the market. “We will visit factories to see what new items they are making,” Sander said. “You also get to see what is selling in other countries.” Sander keeps up to 30 employees in and out over the 15-day spread and a tent that has upwards of 600 items. He estimates that the average customer spends $80 to $100. It takes multiple permits to get a fireworks stand up and running. Because ideal loca-
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Photo by Brett Auten Chris Sander is the President of Powder Monkey Fireworks Inc. located at 5130 Westwood Dr. in Weldon Spring and is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day thru July 5.
tions are difficult to track down, often already established businesses will supplement with a tent or two. Though a full-time job for Sander, that is usually not the case. “Some (vendors) will use a week or two of vacation to make a little extra money,” he said. As you see these familiar tents along the highway exits, it comes with regulations and cautionary tips. According to the county’s firework ordinance, letting off fireworks is limited to between the hours of 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. on July 2-5 of any year and between the hours of 11:30 p.m. on December 31 and 12:30 a.m. on the immediately following January 1. It is unlawful for any person to willfully set off, use, burn, explode or fire off any firecrackers, fireworks, torpedoes, bombs, pin wheels, fire balloons, Roman candles, toy cannons, toy pistols, missile or aerial fireworks containing a stick or fin, or other fireworks containing a stick or fin, or other fireworks of a like kind within unincorporated St. Charles County. This does not apply to parks or other public places when in the charge of competent persons and under a permit issued by the
St. Charles County Department of Community Development. Those 15-years-old and younger cannot discharge fireworks except under the supervision of an adult, where the adult is within sight and sound of the children during the discharge of the fireworks. When in doubt, residents of incorporated municipalities should contact their respective police department for fireworks regulations. From the safety aspect, Karen O’Neill is a Battalion Chief with the St. Charles County Ambulance District. With 25 years of experience, O’Neill has seen a little bit of everything around one of their busier holidays of the year. “There was one gentleman, who had no idea how it got lit, but had a cherry bomb that went off in his front pocket,” O’Neill said. “It left a pretty significant injury plus his pants caught on fire and left burns on his leg.” According to National Fire Protection Association’s data, nationally, emergency rooms see more than 10,000 people annually for fireworks-related injuries with the vast maSee ‘FOURTH OF JULY’ page 2
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