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Jul 2, 2009 4:33 pm US/Central
Local Fireworks Customers Being More Frugal
ROCKWALL (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
The price of patriotism may be too high this year.
Many local consumers are saying that the weak economy is forcing them to scale back on their Fourth of July fireworks purchases. However, during the holiday weekend, fireworks customers are still trying to get some bang for their buck.
"It's Fourth of July," said fireworks customer Andrew Jimenez. "I gotta celebrate a little."
But money is tight, and customers like Jimenez are spending fewer dollars. "Money is real tight, and gas prices, simple things people need to spend their money on."
"I just need money for other things, food, clothes," said customer Paul Galvan.
Jimenez spent about $25 on fireworks this year, much less than the couple hundred dollars that he said he spent on fireworks last year. But many fireworks businesses said that business is actually booming, and they are seeing an increase in overall sales.
"With the economy down, fireworks make people happy," said Jake Jordan, manager of Alamo Fireworks in Rockwall. "I think people are buying feel-good stuff." He said his store is seeing more customers, but many of them are spending less money.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Police Department is reminding citizens that all fireworks are illegal, and those who are caught with them could face a hefty fine. Fireworks purchased at a location like Alamo Fireworks can't be brought into Dallas city limits. Doing so could results in a fine of up to $2,000.
Susan Grannemann and her family are stocking up on fireworks, but taking them to a lake house far from the City of Dallas. "We have a pier and they do it out there, over the water," she said. "There's nothing out there."
Still, officials with the Dallas police and fire departments said that, every year, they see too many injuries and too much damage as a result of fireworks. "Last year, we had 11 structure fires caused by fireworks," said Capt. Rebecca Matthews with Dallas Fire-Rescue. "And these were preventable."
Authorities plan to start patrolling area neighborhoods and parks starting Friday and continuing through Sunday. Matthews said, "We know areas that are more prevalent with using fireworks, and we're going to focus on those."
Dallas city officials are encouraging residents to take advantage of public fireworks displays. However, even some cities are cutting back. Garland has canceled its annual star-spangled celebration, saving the city about $240,000. "This is an event we decided to stop funding, so we could maintain city services for our citizens," said city spokeswoman Dorothy White.
If you plan to shoot fireworks where it is legal, firefighters recommend having water around to help with any fires, and warn that children should always be supervised.
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