How a fireworks ban works in Delta
Posted November 6, 2019 5:28 pm.
Last Updated November 6, 2019 5:29 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
DELTA (NEWS 1130) — On Tuesday, Vancouver City Council voted to ban the sale and use of consumer fireworks.
You won’t be able to buy them or sell them, with exceptions for events like the Celebration of Light and Diwali.
The ban will be similar to what’s in place in other cities, including Surrey, Richmond and Delta.
This week on Ask The Chief we’re speaking with Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord about the experience he’s had in his city — where you’re not allowed to buy or sell fireworks for personal use.
How do fireworks impact your city?
“Certainly we do see fireworks calls in October, both on Halloween and Diwali, for the two celebrations. We see about an average number of calls. For instance, last year on Halloween we received 22 calls for service regarding fireworks and this year we received 24.”
Is the ban effective?
“Certainly anytime you put a rule or a law in place, there are people that will follow the law and there are people that may not necessarily abide by the law. Certainly it doesn’t eliminate fireworks within Delta. We still see fireworks going off and we still respond to calls for fireworks. I think there’s a high level of tolerance before people actually call police. Typically, it will be on the volume — how much fireworks someone is lighting off — or the time of night it happens.”
Do you think the ban is having any impact in Delta?
“Certainly Delta is a smaller city than Vancouver and we’re able to control it a little bit better. We do see people being proactive with fireworks and there are people [who] would like to be able to set them off that decide, because of the bylaw, that they will not do that.”
Are people using fireworks safely?
“We see a varriance of how people do it. We see some younger kids that are taking it and literally just shooting it right out like rockets and we see others that are very careful. You know, they put it into sand or into a gravel piece and they make sure that there’s no one around and they take some safety precautions. So, we do see both sides of it, from people that are lighting off fireworks. Some people do take a tremendous amount of care.”
Who are the people typically setting off fireworks?
“Typically, we see younger teens. It would typically be a young group of kids that have some fireworks and will be setting them off. We typically don’t see it in a neighbourhood where, say a crescent, where there are families around. We don’t see that very often.”
If kids are setting off fireworks, is Delta’s ban on selling fireworks actually having an impact?
“At the end of the day, there are many kids abiding by the ban and like anything else, there are people that won’t abide by the ban, and no different than alcohol or cannabis, as well. The fine can go up to $2,000 for possessing and lighting off fireworks. So, it’s a significant fine. If someone is caught and doing it inappropriately, I would say the majority of times, we either just sieze the fireworks or make sure they’ve stopped.”
Have Delta officers handed out a fine?
“Last night (October 31) we did hand out one or two of those fines, matter of fact. I can’t recall from last year whether or not we did.”
Are people buying fireworks permits?
“We don’t see a tremendous amount of permits. I’m not even sure there were any permits sold — I haven’t checked with the Delta Fire Department, because that’s who issues the permit.”
If a ban came into effect in Vancouver, would there be a difference?
“I think you will see a reduction. You’ll see people who will pay attention to the new bylaw, should a new bylaw come in. But, you will always see a certain percentage of people that will not and you know they’ll do it in a fun and celebratory way in which it is meant to be.”
