Testimony of Jay Northup, Fireworks Injury Victim — HB 172, Fireworks Legalization and Regulation (April 21, 2021)

Summary

Testimony of Jay Northup, Fireworks Injury Victim, in opposition to HB 172, Fireworks Legalization and Regulation, dated April 21, 2021, to the House Commerce and Labor Committee. Northup identifies as Captain of the City of Euclid Fire Department and recounts a Fourth of July party in the summer of 2016, when a firework tube ignited as the paper was peeled back and hit Northup in the face. The testimony says the front of the eye suffered a contusion that took several medical procedures to heal. It states that Northup is a trained firefighter with 26 years of experience as a paramedic and 24 years as a firefighter, and urges the Committee not to pass House Bill 172.

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                            TESTIMONY OF JAY NORTHUP
                               Fireworks Injury Victim
                     HB 172—Fireworks Legalization and Regulation
                                   April 21, 2021

Chairman Stein, Vice Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan and members of the House
Commerce and Labor Committee, thank you for allowing me to submit testimony in opposition
of House Bill 172, 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 172, but instead, encourage your constituents to obey the law
and don’t play with backyard fireworks.

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




Firefighter Jay Northup just a few hours after the explosion and being admitted to the Level 1 Trauma Center at Metro
Health in Cleveland.

Thomas Steinemann, MD, examines firefighter Jay Northup's eyes to monitor his vision and his recovery as he
continues to heal from the fireworks explosion that almost blinded him.


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