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Veteran urges Jenks to consider drone show instead of fireworks; city staff to review
Summary
A resident urged the council to explore replacing the Fourth of July fireworks show with a drone display, citing PTSD impacts on veterans and harm to animals. Council said staff and the police chief would look into the idea and follow up.
During public comment at the Jenks City Council meeting, resident Neil Ewing urged the city to consider replacing the Fourth of July fireworks display with a drone show, saying fireworks can trigger PTSD among veterans, terrify animals and have higher environmental impacts than drones.
“I’m a counselor. Fireworks can cause PTSD symptoms in people, especially some of our veterans…they terrorize a lot of animals,” Ewing said, asking what steps would be needed to pursue a drone show similar to a neighboring community. The item was not on the agenda.
Council members encouraged Ewing to speak with the police chief and offered to put the topic on a future staff agenda for evaluation. “We can engage in a discussion with you, answer some questions, and then bring it back to the city staff,” a council member said, noting Open Meetings Act limits on off‑record discussions.
No formal action or timeline was set; the council suggested the resident collect information and speak with the chief, and staff agreed to look into options and possible next steps if the council wishes to pursue a replacement or alternative to a traditional fireworks display.
