Mayor, fire chief clash on legalizing fireworks

BARSTOW • Barstow Fire Department Chief Darrell Jauss is speaking out against Mayor Joe Gomez’s proposal to legalize fireworks in Barstow.

Gomez said he is looking at legalizing firework sales as a way to help raise revenue for the city and to bring in extra money for non-profit groups during what he called tough economic times. Gomez met representatives from TNT Fireworks, a firework manufacturing and distribution company based in Florence Alabama, at a League of California Cities conference in San Jose this summer and has remained in contact since. Gomez and city manager Richard Rowe met with representatives from the company at city hall in September.

“Safe and sane” fireworks — those that don’t leave the ground or explode — are only legal for sale between June 28 and July 6 in California, but currently all fireworks are illegal in Barstow.

John Kelly, TNT Fireworks’ vice president of public relations for Southern California, said TNT Fireworks is always looking for new markets during the offseason and Barstow is a city the company is interested in.

Gomez said the company told him that if Barstow operated five firework stands the groups operating them could gross around $200,000. The city could also add a 10 percent tax onto firework sales that would go directly to the fire district, according to Gomez. He said that the fire district could even be allocated two of the stands to raise money itself, and that the other stands could be given out through a lottery system. He said he initially put TNT Fireworks in contact with Jauss and that he hoped to get the fire chief’s support.

During a Barstow Fire Protection District Board meeting on Thursday Jauss said that representatives from TNT Fireworks recently contacted him regarding his possible support of changing Barstow’s ordinance against fireworks. Jauss said although the company offers fundraisers for non-profit and civic groups such as the Boy Scouts and youth sports teams, he doesn’t think the money would be worth any injuries that might come from the fireworks.

“How much is it worth for one child to get injured, or for one family to lose their house?” Jauss said. “I can’t support it as the fire chief.”

Gomez said he believes that people in Barstow bring fireworks into Barstow regardless of the laws. Changing the ordinance to allow the sale of safe and sane fireworks would be a way to reduce the amount of the more dangerous fireworks from Mexico that are brought into Barstow, he said.

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(760) 256-4126 or dheldreth@desertdispatch.com