City of Tracy and the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority held a fireworks vendor safety seminar to review safety statistics, the PASS fire-extinguisher method, permit requirements and the inspection schedule for nonprofit vendors who will operate temporary fireworks sales stands.

Seminar presenters emphasized that vendors must pass a morning inspection and receive an operational fire permit before opening on June 28; without that permit vendors cannot sell. Daniel Stowe, a presenter with the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority, said the authorities’ “main goal for the city, of Tracy and the South, San Joaquin County Fire Authority is to make sure that your safety as well as your customer's safety is always, first and foremost.”

The seminar outlined recent injury and fire data cited from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Fire Protection Association: about 9,700 emergency-department injuries involving fireworks in 2023, eight fatalities (five associated with misuse, two with device malfunctions and one unknown), and roughly 31,300 fires in 2022 with an estimated $109,000,000 in property damage in 2023. Presenters said about two-thirds of injuries occurred in the week surrounding July 4, and that many injuries involve sparklers and firecrackers.

Why it matters: Vendors will be selling large quantities of combustible product in tight spaces during a short seasonal window. The department said safety measures, correctly placed extinguishers and a required inspection are intended to reduce fire risk and ensure consistent enforcement of local rules.

Key requirements and dates
- Sales permit and inspection: Initial fire inspections are scheduled the morning of June 28; vendors must pass inspection and hold an operational fire permit before selling. Presenters said inspectors will also perform periodic drive-by and spot inspections during sales.
- Staffing: At least one person who attended this seminar must be on duty at each sales stand at all times during the sales period; each booth must have at least one adult 21 or older present.
- Age and product rules: Fireworks may not be sold to anyone under 18. Vendors must remove all fireworks from the booth nightly and return them to their assigned magazine/storage.
- Sale hours (municipal code as stated at the seminar): Sales may begin June 28 at 12:00 p.m.; June 29–July 3 sales may occur 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; on July 4 vendors may sell 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. (Vendors were also told of separate discharge/use hours for fireworks: generally 12:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., with extended hours to midnight on July 4.)

Safety equipment and site layout
- Extinguishers: Each sales stand must have two mounted fire extinguishers rated 2A:10B:C, and access to the extinguishers must not be obstructed. Seminar instructors taught the PASS method for extinguisher use: “Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep,” demonstrating that operators should aim at the base of the fire and sweep until it is out.
- Distances and storage: Booths must be at least 20 feet from parked vehicles; generators must be at least 25 feet from booths; canopies proposed for shade must be at least 10 feet from the booth; no smoking or alcohol within 50 feet of a stand. Combustible packaging must not be stored behind booths and should be kept in the vendor vehicle or another approved location.

Inspections, enforcement and practical notes
Presenters said fire engine crews and battalion chiefs will verify closing times each night. If a vendor has setup delays, the seminar advised vendors to call the inspector listed in the informational email; staff said inspectors will attempt to accommodate late setups and “pencil you in” if possible but reiterated that sales may not begin until the operational permit is issued.

Forms and remote attendance
April Quintanilla, the new city clerk, said acknowledgment forms will be available at the meeting, and additional forms would be emailed on Monday, June 23. “All the forms need to be submitted to the clerk's office no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 26,” Quintanilla said. The seminar was also streamed; presenters said remote participants who watch and complete the training may submit forms online through the channels provided.

Questions from attendees addressed logistics such as whether the whole crew must be present for the pre-inspection (staff said only one trained representative from the seminar must attend the pre-inspection) and whether safety blankets are recommended (presenters said blankets are optional and not required; the priority is to evacuate the booth and, if safe, fight with an extinguisher from a distance and call 911).

The department noted that inspectors are available to help vendors correct placement or setup issues found at the pre-inspection so booths can be relocated and approved before sales begin. The city clerk’s office will collect completed acknowledgment forms and distribute additional instructions by email.