Added: Aug 20, 2008
From: nfpadotorg
Duration: 3:0
Watch the story of Michael Shannon, a three-year-old boy who was killed when a legal consumer firework struck him in the head during a July Fourth family celebration. Michael's parents and sister talk about their memories of Michael, the pain they've endured in the years since his death, and their hope that parents will understand the danger of consumer fireworks.
Channel: News
Tags: 4th accident accidental consumer fireworks fourth july legal nfpa safety
Rating: 3.94 (68 ratings) Views: 32069' favoriteCount='30 Comments: 134
MDHmodder Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - The companies who make fireworks should put into consideration how the fireworks are going to be used by people... what is their appeal? Can someone take a firework and use it this way like a gun? How does the price and effect appeal to a mass audience and how can that lead to the abuse of a perticular item in some way?
MDHmodder Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - yeah. I don't see people trying to ban alcohol. Except georgians.
biggunn770 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - once again sorry for your loss but that is why you should hire a professional i believe you said forty feet well the recomended distance for 1.4 consumer fireworks is 100 ft and remember A.B.C. always brace cakes and keep a safe distance.
tvargan Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - I would say that the moral from this is if watching fireworks, stand really far back. So far that even if one does fire horizontally, it won't reach the crowd. If you can't maintain that distance, then don't buy the fireworks in the first place.
Viper2734 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - I wouldn't say they didn't know how to use fireworks, how many consumers thought of putting bricks around aerial fireworks? On the directions they wouldn't tell people to, they would just say to put it on a flat hard level surface, the directions on fireworks never told people to put bricks around them althought a trained professional who uses more powerful lifting fireworks would have probably known enough to do it.
Viper2734 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - Some people won't brace their fireworks from tipping over because some of them come with a stand. If I get a firework that is built onto a stand I still don't take the chance and will put bricks around it.
Viper2734 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - Bein a fireworks buyer myself when we were little my dad would usually just buy the bottle rockets, sky rockets, firecrackers and maybe fountains and spinners. We started buying aerial repeaters as I got a little older but it wasn't until hearing stories of them tipping over on the news that we used bricks around all our aerial stuff to make it safer.
AnthonyUK Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - A ban on the sale/private use of fireworks will only result in a healthy blackmarket in fireworks of unknown origin which may not comply to any safety standards whatsoever which would only end up with more casulaties/fatalities. It's alright saying leave it to the professionals but if you ban consumer fireworks you end up with illegal trade and sale of unsafe lethal potentially deadly fireworks to the the public. Fireworks when used properly according to instructions do NOT cause problems.
Mark72188 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - "We assumed if a product is on the market, it would be safe."Haha, wow.....Safe is a relative term, and since you ignored safety measures, YOU got your son killed!Using your logic, I guess lamps are just as unsafe. Someone can strangle you with the cord! Or maybe lets ban paint, because if you sniff it you will get brain damage. But wait, this is not using it properly! Same goes for your fireworks display. A product is just a product; it gets its safety from the person using it.
scottelientk Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - One night we were shooting of fireworks and it tipped over and almost burn't down our tree and house.
slaminq Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - I'm Really sorry for your loss
kevorama1965 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - This really peeves me. Unfortunate? Yes. Unavoidable? Yes. The mother makes the stupid statement "I wish that we could've done something to take him out of harm's way" Well, you could've been at a safe distance. Consumer fireworks are safe when done 'PROPERLY'. It's people that don't take them seriously and stand right in front of them, get injured or worse and now because of their irresponsibility they want to take all fireworks off of the market. Distance is always the safety key, here folks.
flyingfish555 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - CPSC fishes for "ban fireworks!" stories...But as has been said...Fireworks are not going away whether you ban them or not. The question is whether they will adhere to the regulations. They also didn't mention that the stability requirement for cakes are more stringent since this incident.The fact is that fireworks are seen as "exotic" and thus easy targets for bans. Despite the fact that you are far more likely to be killed by the other more ordinary things like a stray golf ball.
flyingfish555 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - You are also must adhere to the directions. "Place on flat, level ground" should at least be followed as a minimum requirement. Ideally the thing should be braced or partially buried. It is a lack of knowing how to deal with fireworks, and in most cases also a lack of responsibility that contributes to accidents. And why people put body parts over mortars is beyond me. I always use the analogy that they are standing over a MLB fastball that explodes after it hits you...
marquellcarlos Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - shut da fuck up dat shit aint funny dey suffered a losss someone should whoop your ass for laughin bout dis stupid fuck
marquellcarlos Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - sorry for your loss
Mark72188 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - Thank you for your properly worded and grammatically correct reply.
lolley1100 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - I cant even think of somthing to say...all I can think of is sorry for your loss...
MDHmodder Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - People wear special glasses that make fireworks look very evil, and continue to wear those glasses until fireworks disappear.The popular idea, perticularly here in british columbia, is highly controlling and at the same time generalizing. Not a good thing.They demonize fireworks and outright lie about them to fuel public hate, then they cite incidents like kids hitting eachother in the eye with roman candles. it's a lot of bullshit, but people in BC Buy it and blindly believe it.
MDHmodder Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - Or alcohol. I cited this one in an argument with someone in my city (nanaimo) who desperately wanted fireworks banned. She got really pissy.
MDHmodder Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - no kidding, I once met a kid who got M80s from a skatebowl. He was responsible with them himself but he gave me one. I opened it and discovered they were using hypochlorites from pool tablets. NOT good.
Duvmasta Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - What are Consumer Fireworks?
raiden098 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - If I had a dime for every maudlin tale on videotape involving beer and a car, I would buy my own country. If you want to convince me why one should cease his harmless hobby on the account of the freak accident or the vapid moron, convince me why one shouldn't drive. Government is here to protect us from each other, not ourselves. I am sick and tired of this righteous crusade for a nanny state. Educate, don't legislate you fools.
raiden098 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - Hear the gentle rolling piano? The gentle panning across the innocent face of a child? Notice how it sensually shifts into a minor melody as Dad understandably shows his emotions? It makes me sick to think we have stooped to manipulating the public with emotion instead of reason. This video: A cold-blooded tactic to get citizens hot-blooded over fireworks. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Shannon. It is just for us all to pay for our own mistakes. You are about to make us all pay for yours.
MilitaryPolice1986 Says:
Aug 20, 2008 - Yes people have to pass a test yet people die in car accidents every year due to negligence. So what makes people think that educating people on fireworks will change the way they use them.