Dixon City Council to Discuss Lifting the Ban on Safe-and-Sane Fireworks within the City.

Anyone remember Sparklers, Piccolo Petes or Black Snakes?

Piccolo Pete's emit a high-pitched whistle, Black Snakes morph from pellets to little snakes and Sparklers emit showers of sparks that lasts anywhere from 10 to 15 seconds.

They are all brands of Safe-and-Sane fireworks commonly sold at fireworks stands throughout the Bay Area. They are also illegal to sell or light in the City of Dixon. But this could change.

On Tuesday during its regular meeting, the Dixon City Council will consider allowing the sale and use of the aforementioned fireworks and their Safe-and-Sane kin.

During the 1970s the city council placed a ban on Safe-and-Sane fireworks at the behest of then-Fire Chief Bill Fairfield according to a city staff report.

“This came after three residential roof fires and one barn fire, all caused by the use of fireworks,” according to the report prepared by Dixon Fire Chief Aaron McAlister and Fire Division Chief/Fire Marshal Greg Lewis. “Due to the high costs to fight these fires, and the costly property damages and potential for injury, Chief Fairfield recommended fireworks be prohibited with the City.”

The report however doesn’t attribute the cause of those fires to state-approved, Safe-and-Sane varieties. In California, there are two types of fireworks – dangerous and Safe-and-Sane.

The state defines dangerous fireworks as those that explode, fly, move across the ground, discharge balls of fire into the air, which explode through means of friction, explode on impact or cause the element of surprise the staff report said.

Safe-and-Sane fireworks are defined as any firework that does not come within the definition of dangerous fireworks or are otherwise exempt from state law.

Chief McAlister and the fire department are against lifting the ban on the sale of Safe-and-Sane fireworks saying: it will cause an influx of illegal fireworks into the city; cause an overall increase in the number of fireworks throughout the county; is against their mission of protecting life, property and the environment from the hazards of fire and explosions; would increase the risk of fires in the city and will significantly increase the workload of the city’s fire marshal.

The council’s agenda packet also contains a letter from the president of the Solano County Fire Chief’s Association Brian Preciado, who is also the Fire Chief of the Vacaville Fire Department, urging the council to not allow the sale of Safe-and-Sane fireworks in the city.

McAlister and Lewis did mention one benefit of having the fireworks re-instated in the city – community groups and non-profit organizations could obtain fireworks sales permits. The groups could sell the fireworks on a consignment basis so that their profits are based on the quantity of sales.

Prior to the ban, Dixon's Boy Scouts used the sale of fireworks to raise funds. Out of the ban was born a city-wide fireworks display and barbecue at the May Fair grounds. 

The meeting of the Dixon City Council will take place on Tuesday, at 7 p.m., in the council chambers located at  600 East A Street.