Mayor stops push for fireworks legalization

BARSTOW • Mayor Joe Gomez has stopped looking into the legalization of fireworks in Barstow due to a lack of support from the Barstow Fire Department Chief Darrell Jauss.

Jauss and Gomez expressed opposing views on the legalization of fireworks in Barstow during City Council and Barstow Fire Protection District board meetings recently. Jauss said during a fire board meeting he was against legalizing fireworks because it would put residents at a larger risk of injury and fire. On the other hand Gomez said that allowing fireworks that are legal in the state to be sold in Barstow would help raise money for local organizations and could help curb the use of more dangerous fireworks from Mexico.

Gomez said although he was interested in the idea, he never intended to go forward with any attempt to legalize fireworks without Jauss’ approval.

“The whole plan initially was to take the idea to the chief and if he said it was OK then we would proceed,” Gomez said. “The only reason I was looking at the idea was as a way to help the fire district and maybe a few non-profits raise extra money.”

“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.

Gomez said he originally got the idea to use fireworks to raise money after he 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. Jauss said representatives from the company contacted him regarding his possible support for legalizing fireworks after they spoke with Gomez. He said he contemplated the risks and benefits of the proposal and couldn’t reconcile the dangers with the monetary gains.

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