by Mary Rupert
Fireworks stands opened today in Kansas City, Kan.
Residents of Kansas City, Kan., may shoot certain approved fireworks from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 2 to 4.
Assistant Fire Chief John W. Zimbelman, interim public information officer, said it is important that parents and adults supervise children who are around fireworks.
“People need to be careful, especially with children and supervising,” Zimbelman said. He said that kids should not shoot fireworks, that adults should be the ones to do it.
Fireworks may be discharged between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. from July 2 through July 4 only, according to the local ordinance on fireworks.
This year, there are 47 fireworks stands operating throughout Kansas City, Kan., Zimbelman said.
It is not legal to discharge guns in Kansas City, Kan., to celebrate the holiday, even though there are some laws that permit carrying guns, according to officials. It is illegal to fire a gun in the city.
This year, the free fireworks show for residents at Pierson Park in Turner will not take place, according to the parks department. The show was canceled because the company that formerly did the show is not currently operating, according to the parks department, and no one else would do it for the same amount of money.
The T-Bones are listed on the promotions schedule as having fireworks displays after the home games, which start at 7:05 p.m. July 3 and July 4 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan. The July 4 fireworks display should be a large display, Zimbelman said.
For those shooting fireworks at home, fireworks such as bottle rockets, sky rockets, missile-type rockets, luminaries and lanterns, and unapproved fireworks such as M-80s are not allowed in Kansas City, Kan., according to the UG ordinance. Only consumer-grade fireworks that are on the approved list may be discharged, Zimbelman said.
The UG’s fireworks ordinance is at https://www.municode.com/library/ks/wyandotte_county_-_unified_government/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH15FIPRPR. It outlines the specific fireworks that are approved, and those that are not approved. There are no changes to the ordinance this year that apply to residents.
The ordinance specifies that fireworks may be sold only between June 29 and July 4.
The Bonner Springs and Edwardsville fireworks ordinances closely follow the Kansas City, Kan., ordinance, Zimbelman said.