Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Fireworks industry tells JCAR Ohio fire-code changes threaten professional displays; State Fire Marshal says rules implement existing statute
Summary
Industry witnesses told JCAR that Ohio Fire Code revisions classifying certain '1.4g professional-use' fireworks would be implemented without sufficient notice or economic analysis and could make lawful products effectively illegal to sell or use; the State Fire Marshal's counsel said the rules implement existing statute and urged legislative fixes if policy change is desired.
Multiple fireworks-industry representatives told the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review on Oct. 20 that proposed Ohio Fire Code language would disrupt Ohio display businesses and was adopted with inadequate notice and stakeholder input, while counsel to the State Fire Marshal said the agency was implementing existing statutory permitting requirements.
Roberto Sorgay, co-owner of American Fireworks Company and representing three trade associations, urged JCAR to invalidate the changes and return them to the common-sense initiative stage for additional stakeholder review. "These changes would make lawful products virtually illegal to sell, use, or possess without legislative approval," Sorgay said, and he alleged the State Fire Marshal revised the rules multiple times during the public-comment period and failed to notify roughly…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
