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Testimony - Danial Peart, Phantom Fireworks, House Bill 172 (March 24, 2021)

Summary

A letter dated March 24, 2021, to the House Commerce and Labor Committee on House Bill 172, from Danial Peart, Director of Government Affairs for Phantom Fireworks. The testimony says Phantom Fireworks was founded in 1973 and supports House Bill 172, including the fireworks advisory group the bill proposes. It states that, according to CPSC fireworks-related injuries statistics, consumption has more than doubled while fireworks-related injuries have decreased by more than 60%. The letter describes the American Fireworks Standards Laboratory, created in 1991, and urges the committee to support the bill.

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“Testimony - Danial Peart, Phantom Fireworks, House Bill 172 (March 24, 2021).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-03-24-commerce-labor-testimony-testimony-3523-0dc26b1f90/, SHA-256 0c8ceddcf940e0c6f00e4d7299d5ba67784283ec0bc83f1693f479f95eb0f5c0.

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PHANTOM FIREWORKS
Distributors of Phantom® and Wolf Pack® Brand Fireworks
2445 Belmont Ave                                                              o. 330.746.1064
Youngstown, Ohio 44505                                                  dpeart@fireworks.com
Danial Peart, Director of Government Affairs                              www.fireworks.com


                                                 March 24, 2021


House Commerce and Labor Committee
1 Capitol Square
Columbus, OH 43215
House Bill 172

        Chairman Stein, Vice-Chairman Johnson, ranking member Lepore-Hagan and
members of the committee, I am Danial Peart, Director of Government Affairs for
Phantom Fireworks. Phantom Fireworks was founded in Youngstown, OH in 1973. In
that time, we’ve expanded into a national presence with retail outlets and offices
stretching from California to Maine and Florida. We have significantly grown our Ohio
operations over that time, including a 750,000 square foot warehouse in Warren, OH, as
well as a new office building that remains in Youngstown. We employ over 400 Ohioans
and we are proud to call Ohio our home for the last 46 years. Thank you for the
opportunity to testify in support of House Bill 172.

         While Ohio’s consumer fireworks laws have gone largely unchanged for decades,
they no longer reflect the current realities of consumer fireworks use. The consumer
fireworks industry recognized the importance of bringing a safer, quality, product to
market in 1991 when it created the American Fireworks Standards Laboratory and began
testing the fireworks at the factory level to their own, stringent, conformity requirements.
In that time, CPSC fireworks-related injuries statistics have shown that while fireworks
consumption has more than doubled in that time, fireworks-related injuries have
decreased by more than 60%. No other industry boasts a safety record that can
simultaneously proclaim increased usage and decreased injuries.

        Equally as important to fireworks safety is ensuring an educated and informed
consumer. Consumer fireworks retailers are spending more time and resources to
educate consumers on how fireworks work, and how to use fireworks properly and
safely. Our company floods our customers with safety messaging from the moment they
walk through our doors until the moment they leave. Experiences in other states have
shown that with a focused, educational, message, legalizing consumer fireworks use can
serve to decrease consumer injuries. Fireworks safety is our life-blood and we take every
available opportunity to impress as much upon our customers.

       The fireworks advisory group proposed in HB 172 is a practical approach that
ensures we don’t find ourselves in a similar situation of dealing with antiquated fireworks
laws that don’t represent real-world scenario. A study group made up of industry,
enforcement, and interested parties is a logical means to generate discussion between
stakeholders. The ongoing dialogue between industry and enforcement has proven to be
effective in multiple states, and leads to a transparency that benefits all involved. We
believe this element of HB 172 is a catalyst for success for Ohio’s fireworks industry.

       Phantom Fireworks enthusiastically supports House Bill 172 and we respectfully
urge the committee to do the same. Thank you for your time and I am happy to answer
any questions.



                                            Sincerely,


                                            Danial Peart, Director of Government Affairs

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