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WEST MONROE, La., (KNOE 8 News) - West Monroe Police want you to have a safe New Year's holiday, and offer the following tips if you'll be using fireworks:

The West Monroe Police and the National Council on Fireworks Safety urge consumers to be fireworks smart, before, during and after their consumer fireworks display.

Before: Choose an open area away from spectators, homes and buildings and dry vegetation. Use a garden hose to wet down the area before firing.

During: As each device burns out, soak it using a hose, or bucket of water.

After: Place all used items in a covered, fireproof container and leave it outside and away from homes and buildings.


"Fireworks are beautiful and add fun and excitement to holiday celebrations. But you must be fireworks smart when you use them! ", says National Council Vice President Jack Leonard.

Remember the following special fireworks safety tips for sparklers:

• Children under the age of 12 should not use sparklers without very close adult supervision.
• Always remain standing while using sparklers.
• Never hold a child in your arms while using sparklers.
• Never hold, or light, more than one sparkler at a time.
• Sparklers and bare feet can be a painful combination. Always wear closed -toe shoes when using sparklers.
• Sparkler wire and stick remain hot long after the flame has gone out. Be sure to drop the spent sparklers directly in a bucket of water.
• Never hand a lighted sparkler someone else. Give them the unlit sparkler and then light it.
• Always stand at least 6 feet from another person while using sparklers.
• Never throw sparklers.
• Show children how to hold sparklers away from their body and at arm's length.
• Teach children not to wave sparklers, especially wooden stick sparklers, or run while holding sparklers.

I'm surprised any place is actually allowing civilians to use fireworks for New Year's Eve, usually it's not legal. But I DO have a few complaints with some of these tips.

Children under the age of 12 should not use sparklers without very close adult supervision.

Are they serious? They can't be, by 12 we shot off EVERYTHING, firecrackers, parachutes, rockets, missiles, fountains, everything except Roman candles that is, with or WITHOUT adult supervision, and nobody ever got hurt because of it. I think I was 5 when sparklers was all I was allowed to handle.

• Never hold, or light, more than one sparkler at a time.

Again, cha, ya know what? Uh-uh. We'd light the whole box worth and pass them out to everyone. Again, we didn't get hurt.

• Always stand at least 6 feet from another person while using sparklers. Why?

• Teach children not to wave sparklers, especially wooden stick sparklers, or run while holding sparklers.

Again they are not serious, they can't be, nobody just stands still and holds sparklers with a petrified arm.