Users ignore fireworks requirements

With every Fourth of July holiday, the use of illegal fireworks always comes to the forefront. If people celebrate with their own backyard fireworks display and they could ignore the law.\nIn Indiana, fireworks that shoot into the air, such as the traditionally popular bottle rockets and Roman candles, are illegal to use on one's own property.\nBut retailers across the state have no trouble selling these and other, more dangerous, fireworks.\nPeople who buy these types of fireworks must join a group called the Indiana Fireworks Users Association. This involves paying a $2 membership fee and signing a form that promises the user will take the fireworks to one of the many designated supervised fireworks display areas across the state.\nDon Patton, an employee of Phantom Fireworks in Indiana, said there are about 30 of these "safe firing zones" in the state. \n"I've actually seen people go (to the zones), but in reality most people don't," Patton said.\nPatton admits that he and his friends use the illegal fireworks at their homes. \n"I've always said that this law has a loophole big enough to drive a truck full of explosives through," Indiana Fire Marshall, M. Tracy Boatwright, said.\nBoatwright has been trying for quite some time to make sales of dangerous fireworks completely illegal. \n"Every year you hear about houses and churches being hit, eyes being put out and fingers being blown off," he said. "I have been trying to work as fire marshall under this law for nine years, and it's very frustrating."\nIn March, the Indiana Supreme Court denied Boatwright's request for a court ruling to implement a statewide ban on dangerous fireworks. The court ruled that Boatwright is not legally entitled to seek a court opinion on the law, but does have the authority to enforce the law as it currently stands. \n"They said that I didn't have the authority to challenge this law," Boatwright said. "We didn't prevail in that case, so now we're back to square one."\nAlthough Boatwright technically has the authority to enforce current fireworks laws, he feels that his power is limited. \n"It has to be changed in the statutes, in the law before anything will change," he said. "I just hope that everyone uses a lot of common sense this year, because right now there's not a lot I can do to enforce anything." \nFireworks retailers and local law enforcement officials seem to be less worried about the current fire works policy and the dangers involved. \n"As long as they're responsible with (the fireworks), it's their prerogative," said Patton when asked about people who use fireworks outside of the designated zones. \nMike Diekhoff, of the Bloomington police department said there are not patrols for people who are using fireworks illegally. \n"We respond to calls, we get a lot of calls around this time," Diekhoff said. "Our biggest concern is for the safety of those people involved. We encourage people to go to places where they are supervised." \nBoatwright sympathizes with law enforcement officials. \n"It's hard to try and enforce a law that's so poorly written. I just hope that we have a safe and sane Fourth of July this year"