The Geneva Police Department wants residents to make safety a top priority of their Fourth of July celebration this weekend.

Both the Geneva Police and Fire Departments echo the message of the Office of the State Fire Marshal and National Fire Protection Association: If you want to see fireworks, attend a professional display.

People interested in shooting fireworks, either privately or as a professional display, need to be aware of Illinois’ new fireworks regulations that recently went into effect. The law divides fireworks displays into two categories.

• Consumer fireworks – Items such as fountains, repeaters and parachutes.
• Pyrotechnic displays – Professional grade fireworks including mortars, cake bundles and ground displays that depict a picture.

Both categories are only permitted in municipalities and counties that have adopted ordinances allowing such displays. The City of Geneva does not have an ordinance that allows for either consumer or pyrotechnic fireworks usage.

Police also remind residents that several well-known types of fireworks, such as firecrackers, bottle rockets and Roman candles, are not allowed in Illinois under the new regulations.

Novelty fireworks, including snakes, sparklers and party-poppers, are legal to use, but they can present serious dangers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of up to 1,200 degrees and remain extremely hot long after the sparks have stopped. Many children are injured each year by novelty fireworks and must be closely supervised by adults.

The City of Geneva encourages the community to have a safe and fun Fourth of July holiday.