June 25, 2024 |
Photo – Medicine Bow Town Council – By Matt Copeland Bigfoot99
In lieu of a town-sponsored Fourth of July fireworks show, the Medicine Bow Fire Department will supervise residents as they set off their own pyrotechnics to celebrate Independence Day.
During the June 10th Medicine Bow town council meeting, Fire Chief Ed Standish asked the governing body to allow residents to detonate their personal fireworks, within reason, at a specifically prepared location.
The fire chief said the field north of the town’s fire department will be sprayed down with water to prevent any fireworks from sparking a wildfire.
Chief Standish said in the past, the Medicine Bow Fire Department would put on its own fireworks display. However, Standish said because he no longer has a member with the necessary certification to legally buy fireworks, the department is unable to host a Fourth of July show.
Not far from Medicine Bow, across the Albany County line in Rock River, Chief Standish said the governing body doesn’t require a purchasing permit to put on a fireworks show. The fire chief asked the Medicine Bow town council to consider removing the certification requirement from the town’s ordinance in the future. Standish also said he is unwilling to pay for an individual with the proper certification.
Chief Standish said at the time, the town council created the certification requirement based on their interpretation of the wording of the fireworks purchasing permit. The fire chief said a permit is no longer required to legally buy fireworks.
Councilwoman Kristi Wickizer asked Chief Standish what the other members of the Medicine Bow Fire Department thought putting on their own fireworks display. The fire chief said he hasn’t brought up the proposal to the department. Standish said he wanted to gauge the council’s reaction to the idea first.
The Medicine Bow town council expressed their support of the idea to allow residents to set off their own fireworks. However, due to how late in the meeting the idea was proposed, the governing body was legally unable to make a decision. A special meeting was scheduled because the next regular council meeting will occur after the Fourth of July.
At that special meeting, the council voted to allow residents to set off their personal fireworks in the field north of the Medicine Bow Fire Department on the Fourth of July. Volunteer firefighters will be on hand to supervise the event.
Attempts to reach Carbon County Fire Warden John Rutherford, who has said fireworks are off limits, were unsuccessful on Monday.
