Nye County commissioners last week approved a bill allowing towns to set up "shooters sites" for fireworks once the local town boards adopt a policy for it. The sign at fireworks stores noting it's unlawful to discharge fireworks in Nye County, giving customers 24 hours to transport fireworks out of the county, will be amended to add the words "unless discharged at a designated shooters site." If town boards approve, the shooters sites may operate from June 25 through midnight July 4. Fireworks may not be discharged between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. except July Fourth.
Representatives of fireworks stores in Pahrump were in attendance and applauded the bill. But there were no specific plans, at least in Pahrump, for a designated shooters site. Pahrump Town Manager Dave Richards said the town board hasn't discussed the bill yet or solicited comments from Pahrump Fire Chief Scott Lewis. Dave Bernard, owner of Outlaw Pyrotechnics, applauded the measure. He predicted other towns in the U.S. would copy the idea. Bernard admitted there was a lot of controversy about the bill, but fireworks stores could iron out any problems with the county manager.
"Opening up a fireworks site or shooters site would be very lucrative for the town," Kelly Bernard added. She said the store often sells to customers who buy fireworks at their Pahrump store, then go to the Moapa Indian Reservation to set them off, on the other side of Las Vegas.
Tim McKoy, representing Area 51 Fireworks, reminded county commissioners to increase the number of permits for the sale of consumer and display fireworks from five to six, to reflect the actual number of fireworks stores in Nye County. The stores with consumer fireworks permits will pay a $1,000 fee to compensate the sheriff's department for their time and the county for any possible damage. Fireworks may only be sold to customers 18 years or older under the bill.
Nye County Manager Ron Williams admitted under questioning that the county didn't make individual towns aware of the new ordinance. Local towns would have to adopt their own policies to permit the shooters sites. Williams said he didn't extend the shooters sites to areas in the county outside the control of town boards because there would be less control. Williams added, "The unincorporated towns, all of them have some sort of fire suppression; either the county provides it or the town provides it." County Commissioner Roberta "Midge" Carver had a few concerns over limiting shooters sites to town areas. She was also concerned about the fire danger from fireworks due to dry brush conditions this year.
"This is the year that could be real crucial in the lack of moisture we had and they never had a problem in the past, but this year could be a real issue," Carver said. The bill was tweaked slightly at the commission meeting, increasing the liability insurance requirement for fireworks distributors from $100,000 to $1 million and striking a provision that applies to Pahrump, requiring the shooters site to be in an area properly zoned for it.
Representatives of fireworks stores said they carried $1 million in liability policies already. Williams suggested striking the zoning restriction if the Pahrump town board wanted to enact the shooter's sites this season. The ordinance defines consumer fireworks as explosive devices containing no more than 50 milligrams of explosive composition, formerly called Class C explosives now known as 1.4G explosives.
Representatives of fireworks stores in Pahrump were in attendance and applauded the bill. But there were no specific plans, at least in Pahrump, for a designated shooters site. Pahrump Town Manager Dave Richards said the town board hasn't discussed the bill yet or solicited comments from Pahrump Fire Chief Scott Lewis. Dave Bernard, owner of Outlaw Pyrotechnics, applauded the measure. He predicted other towns in the U.S. would copy the idea. Bernard admitted there was a lot of controversy about the bill, but fireworks stores could iron out any problems with the county manager.
"Opening up a fireworks site or shooters site would be very lucrative for the town," Kelly Bernard added. She said the store often sells to customers who buy fireworks at their Pahrump store, then go to the Moapa Indian Reservation to set them off, on the other side of Las Vegas.
Tim McKoy, representing Area 51 Fireworks, reminded county commissioners to increase the number of permits for the sale of consumer and display fireworks from five to six, to reflect the actual number of fireworks stores in Nye County. The stores with consumer fireworks permits will pay a $1,000 fee to compensate the sheriff's department for their time and the county for any possible damage. Fireworks may only be sold to customers 18 years or older under the bill.
Nye County Manager Ron Williams admitted under questioning that the county didn't make individual towns aware of the new ordinance. Local towns would have to adopt their own policies to permit the shooters sites. Williams said he didn't extend the shooters sites to areas in the county outside the control of town boards because there would be less control. Williams added, "The unincorporated towns, all of them have some sort of fire suppression; either the county provides it or the town provides it." County Commissioner Roberta "Midge" Carver had a few concerns over limiting shooters sites to town areas. She was also concerned about the fire danger from fireworks due to dry brush conditions this year.
"This is the year that could be real crucial in the lack of moisture we had and they never had a problem in the past, but this year could be a real issue," Carver said. The bill was tweaked slightly at the commission meeting, increasing the liability insurance requirement for fireworks distributors from $100,000 to $1 million and striking a provision that applies to Pahrump, requiring the shooters site to be in an area properly zoned for it.
Representatives of fireworks stores said they carried $1 million in liability policies already. Williams suggested striking the zoning restriction if the Pahrump town board wanted to enact the shooter's sites this season. The ordinance defines consumer fireworks as explosive devices containing no more than 50 milligrams of explosive composition, formerly called Class C explosives now known as 1.4G explosives.