The Ohio Plan's Resources

Fireworks cause many accidents and injuries across Ohio every year. Many of these incidents occur between the summer holiday periods of July-August. The State of Ohio has always had laws regulating fireworks exhibitions, but not until recently has Ohio required public safety officials to verify that the appropriate precautions be implemented for the fireworks exhibitions (HB 161). Following is a list of resources that will help your municipality comply with these Ohio Laws as well as national fire protection guidelines:

• Ohio Revised Code (ORC), Chapter 3743
• Ohio Fire Code 1301:7-7-31
• National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 1123, 1124, and 1126

Every Ohio Plan municipality that is planning a fireworks exhibition or is having a fireworks exhibition on municipal property should contact their Regional Ohio Plan Agent to ensure adequate insurance coverage for your event.

Another important consideration when planning for a fireworks exhibition is to verify that the licensed exhibitor/pyrotechnician is bonded and insured. The appropriate amount of liability insurance that an exhibitor is required to have for this type of exposure is at least $1,000,000, but because of the high level of risk a $5,000,000 liability limit would be preferred.

In addition to insurance requirements the licensed exhibitor should be available to conduct a site inspection of the exhibition area, spectator area, and fireworks setup with your local Fire Chief, Fire Prevention Officer, or Certified Fire Safety Inspector.

All Ohio fireworks exhibitions require inspections before and after the exhibition takes place. Fire Departments in the State of Ohio should have inspection forms that were sent to them from the State Fire Marshal.
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Who should be performing the inspection and filling out these forms:

• The Fire Chief
• The Fire Prevention Officer
• The Certified Fire Safety Inspector

The exhibitor should keep the original inspection form and additional copies should be distributed to all the following:

• The Fire Inspector
• The local law enforcement official
• The State Fire Marshal (send no later than five (5) days after the event.)
• If a fireworks exhibition is taking place in your municipality and you do not have a Fire Department, contact the local fire service provider to conduct the inspection.

During the actual fireworks exhibition:

• Have adequate fire and safety support personnel in the event of an accident
• Have adequate law enforcement personnel to provide the necessary crowd control.
• With proper planning and safety precautions firework exhibitions can be safe and enjoyable for everyone.

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