Testimony of Jay Northup - HB 253, Fireworks Legalization and Regulation (February 5, 2020)

Summary

Testimony of Jay Northup, Fireworks Injury Victim, on HB 253—Fireworks Legalization and Regulation, dated February 5, 2020, in opposition to House Bill 253, addressed to Chairman Manning, Vice Chair Dean, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan and Members of the Commerce and Labor Committee. Jay Northup identifies as Captain of the City of Euclid Fire Department. The testimony describes a Fourth of July party in the summer of 2016 at which a firework tube ignited and struck the face. It states that Jay Northup is a trained firefighter with 26 years of experience as a paramedic and 24 years as a firefighter, and that there is no safe way to discharge consumer fireworks.

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                         TESTIMONY OF JAY NORTHUP
                            Fireworks Injury Victim
                  HB 253—Fireworks Legalization and Regulation
                               February 5, 2020


Chairman Manning, Vice Chair Dean, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan and Members
of the Commerce and Labor Committee, thank you for allowing me to submit
testimony in opposition of House Bill 253, which would make changes to Ohio’s
fireworks law.

My name is Jay Northup and I am Captain of the City of Euclid Fire Department.
In the summer of 2016, my family and I were hosting our annual Fourth of July
party, which always included a fireworks display. As in years past, I went behind
our shed to set off the fireworks. Setting off fireworks at our party was tradition
and I was sure to do so safely. I had all the kids up front by the garage to make
sure no one would get hurt, never thinking it would be me instead.

When the fireworks display was ending, I noticed the last couple of tubes were
not igniting. I decided to take a closer look to determine the problem. As I peeled
the paper back on the firework, the tube ignited. I was only 12 inches away from
the tube when it ignited, so it hit me right in the face.

Immediately after it happened, I remember thinking to myself that I was going to
die. I didn’t even know where I was or what had just happened. I got on my hands
and knees and then heard one of my friends yelling at me, asking if I was okay. I
just got hit in the face with a mortar, so no, I was not okay. I told him no and
asked him to get my wife.

My wife, an emergency room nurse, immediately took me to the emergency room
at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. The front of my eye suffered a
contusion that deformed the front of the eye, and it took time and several
medical procedures to heal. I am so grateful to the medical staff because if it
wasn’t for them I could have lost my vision in my eye.

While it is still difficult to look back on that day, I still want to share my message,
it’s not worth it. Legalizing the discharge of fireworks will only lead to more
injuries like mine. Instead of passing a law to allow for discharge, we should be
spreading the message that fireworks are not safe to set off in your own yard. We
should be encouraging people to leave fireworks to the professional fireworks
shows. Do not think it won’t happen to you.

I am a trained firefighter with 26 years of experience as a paramedic and 24 years
of experience as a firefighter. If anyone should know how to use fireworks safely
it should be me. However, I learned the hard way… almost losing my life and
changing its course forever, that there is no safe way to discharge consumer
fireworks and we are fooling the public if we give them this impression.

I urge you not to pass House Bill 253, but instead, encourage your constituents to
obey the law and don’t play with backyard fireworks.

Jay Northup
15088 Sassafrass Drive
Strongville, Ohio 44136-1781
216-244-2074

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