Mar 2010
Van Buren Co. meets all FEMA
Objectives During Testing
Friday, March 5, 2010
At a briefing held this morning at Van Buren County’s
Emergency Operation Center, FEMA revealed its preliminary exercise
findings for all the participating counties and state offices that are
affected by the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant located in Covert
Township.
These findings are the results of numerous exercises
and demonstrations that Van Buren, Allegan and Berrien held over the
course of three days starting March 1, 2010.
According to FEMA’s representatives, Van Buren County
met all the objectives that were required by FEMA and noted several
areas that were found to be exceptional due to the involvement of many
of the exercise participant’s actions. FEMA made similar comments in
regards to Allegan and Berrien regarding their exercises.
According to Lt. Alain Svilpe the following local
agencies were involved with the Palisades exercises. Decatur/Hamilton
Fire Department, Paw Paw Fire Department, South Haven Public Schools,
Van Buren Chapter of the American Red Cross, Van Buren/Cass Health
Department, Michigan Department of Human Services, RACES, WSJM Radio,
Van Buren ISD, Bangor Fire Department, Gobles/Pine Grove Fire Department
, RACES, Lawrence Public Schools, Paw Paw Public Schools, Area Agency on
Aging, Lakeview Community Hospital, Van Buren County Road Commission,
Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office and numerous other county agencies and
the Michigan State Police.
Sheriff Dale Gribler stated he was proud of the all
efforts that each participant put into this exercise period and noted
that many hours of training and preparation took place to have this kind
of result.
By Lt.
Alain E. Svilpe
2:45PM
3-5-10
Feb 2010
New
Undersheriff Appointed for Van Buren County
Thursday, February 25, 2010
On January 8th 2010 the Undersheriff position in Van Buren County became
vacant with the retirement of Paul Edwards because of medical issues.
After some deliberation, I am pleased to announce the appointment of
Gabrielle Rought as Undersheriff for Van Buren County. Gabrielle’s
appointment became effective earlier this month.
Undersheriff Rought has a Bachelors Degree from Grand
Valley State University and obtained her law enforcement license from
Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Gabrielle began her career in law
enforcement in 1997 in the Kalamazoo area and joined the Van Buren
County Sheriff’s Office in 1998 and has been assigned to our detective
bureau from 2002 until her recent appointment.
Gabrielle and her husband of 25 years, Rod, resides in
the Paw Paw area with their two children, Justin and Jacquelyn.
“I am extremely excited about Gabrielle’s new career in
the Sheriff’s Office,“ said Sheriff Gribler. Undersheriff Rought
will bring fresh ideas, a tremendous work ethic, and forward thinking
that is critical in these difficult times and for the future of our
agency” added Sheriff Gribler.
“I am excited about the future of our agency with goals and visions
shared by myself and Sheriff Gribler. During this
transitional period, I plan to lead by example, provide encouragement to
all, and build on a strong concept of teamwork,” said Undersheriff
Rought.
Update on fatal accident
February 25, 2010
Memorandum
Determination
TO: VBSD
FROM: Juris Kaps,
Van Buren County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
COMPLAINT NO:
#09-007474 Fatal Accident of September 26, 2009 in Antwerp Twp.
Memo Date: February 17, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Van Buren County Sheriff Dale R. Gribler is please to announce a joint
program between his office and Entergy. The program, funded by Entergy
is administered by the Sheriff’s Office, is call CodeRED which is a
reverse 9-1-1 system.
Van Buren
County Central Dispatch will have the ability to alert county residents
by telephone of emergencies or public information throughout the county
or the notification can be narrowed down to a specific area such as a
subdivision.
“This is a
very exciting service we can provide to our residents,” said Sheriff
Gribler. “This can be used for a multitude of needs from evacuating
areas, to locating a lost child or notifying our residents of criminal
activity in an area,” the Sheriff further commented.
Van Buren
County residents, businesses and students are encouraged to register
online to be personally alerted in the event of an imminent threat to
health and safety – such as a chemical spill, nuclear power plant event,
evacuation notice, bomb threat, boil water notification, or missing
child alert- through the CodeRED program provided by Entergy’s Palisades
Nuclear Power Plant located in Covert Township.
The CodeRED
system is capable of dialing 60,000 phone numbers per hour, making three
attempts to connect any registered number and delivering a recorded
message to a live person or answer machine within a specific geographic
area or for the entire county.
To register
your phone number, click on the CodeRED icon on the left menu of the Van
Buren County Sheriff’s Office website at
www.vanburencountysheriff.com Provide your name, address, primary
phone number and alternative phone number to receive emergency
notifications from the Sheriff’s Office. Individuals without internet
access can pick up a free CodeRED residential or business registration
form at the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, 205 S. Kalamazoo Street,
Paw Paw MI or request a form by calling 888-273-8111.
CodeRED
notification is also recommended for individuals interested in receiving
emergency information related to a specific Van Buren County address,
such as for nearby relatives of an elderly or disabled Van Buren County
resident. Information from the CodeRED registration will be managed on
behalf of Van Buren County for authorized local emergency phone
communications only and will not be used or sold for any other
application.
“The
partnership with Entergy has been exceptional and I truly want to thank
Entergy for their commitment to Van Buren County residents,” concluded
Sheriff Gribler.
2009 Michigan
Outstanding Citizen Corps Coordinator
Awarded to Van Buren Co. Sheriff's Office Volunteer
Sheriff Dale R Gribler is pleased to
announce that Steve Starner has won the Outstanding Citizen Corps
Coordinator for 2009. The award was presented at the Citizens Corp
Coordinators Training Forum held in Traverse City on the 15th and 16th
of December. The award was presented by Sgt. Kevin Sweeny and Matt
Blythe of the Michigan State Police Emergency Management & Homeland
Security Division.
The Michigan
Citizen Corps Program helps communities coordinate volunteers to prepare
for and respond to local emergencies. It trains and engages volunteers
to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to
emergencies and disasters of all kinds, including threats of terrorism,
natural disasters, crime, public health issues, etc. The support of
Citizen Corps activities is especially important during major disasters
when first responders may be initially overwhelmed. Citizen Corps
activities are adapted to every community's needs and managed locally by
a Citizen Corps Council. Citizen Corps encourage communities to engage
every citizen in homeland security efforts.
Steve Starner has been
active with the Van Buren County Sheriffs Office as a volunteer for
nearly ten years. 2009 is an exceptional year for Steve's service with
our Department. In 2009, Steve became our
Community Outreach Coordinator.
In this position, he took the lead in a number of county-wide programs,
including Neighborhood Watch, CERT, Care Trak, Child Fingerprint-Photo,
STOPPED, VIPS, and our Speakers Bureau. He has spent 925 hours this year
in the development and implementation of these programs, along with
being the Commander of our state award-winning Reserve Officer program.
Reserve Program (VIPS) - Steve is one of
the founding members of this group, formed in 2000, and for the last
four years has been the unit commander. During this period of time, the
unit has increased in size to its current 25 members and has donated
over 6,000 hours of service to the citizens of Van Buren County in 2009.
The unit performs many services in the county which allows Deputies to
remain on patrol or offers services which otherwise could not be
offered. The units work festivals, parades, fireworks, sporting events,
township meetings and also provide the manpower for many other programs
such as the STOPPED program, Fingerprint-Photo and Care Trak.
STOPPED - For
the third year in a row, the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office has
received the top state wide award for registrations of teen drivers in
the STOPPED program. Van Buren County is the only county to have
received this award from the Secretary of State in all three years of
the programs existence. Steve has coordinated this program through the
Reserve unit and local schools, health fairs and other events. Because
of this success Steve was asked to provide training for other
Departments around the state by the Michigan Sheriffs Association. (MSA
is the sponsor of STOPPED) He also addressed the Sheriff’s Association
quarterly meeting promoting the program to Sheriffs from the entire
state.
Neighborhood Watch
- there are eight NW groups in the county and two more in the works.
Steve attends all their meetings and provides training for the groups.
He has developed presentations on the following subjects: NW should
your neighborhood be involved?; Observation Skills; Reporting Suspicious
Activities; Target Hardening Your Home; ID Theft; Scams; Crime
Prevention 101; Auto Theft; Travel Safety; Personal Safety; Disaster
Planning for the Home; Home Safety; Meth; Drunk Driving; Distracted
Driving; and Gangs. Steve continues to add and update presentations as
needed. He also coordinates McGruff The Crime Dog appearances at
meetings, picnics, parades and schools.
CERT
- Van Buren County is currently running its first CERT class; there are
44 people in the class which will finish in early December. Steve is the
County CERT coordinator, as well as the lead trainer. He has worked to
secure funding, materials, a place to hold the classes, find specialized
instructors and keep records.
Care Trak - Another new program for the
county that targets people who may wander from their homes or care
facilities due to Alzheimer's, Autism, Down Syndrome, and other special
needs. Steve worked to coordinate the purchase, training, and
implementation of the program. He has developed a presentation to
demonstrate the need and operation of the program and has worked to find
sponsors to pay for equipment so those who have a need for the equipment
but don't have the means can still be taken care of. Steve is one of
four people trained to track lost individuals and is the re-cert trainer
for the department.
Fingerprint and Photo
– A new program for the county, this program has equipment to
fingerprint and take a photo of children in case they separated from
their parents. This record is supplied to the parent for safe keeping.
Steve worked to obtain this equipment, set it up, and trains others in
its operation. Hundreds of kids have already been printed in the
county. Many more events are scheduled in the coming months.
Business Protection
Seminar - This is a one day class for
business owners-managers to help them protect their operations from
fraud and theft. Sessions on subjects such as; security video, credit
card fraud, check fraud, employee theft, robbery protection, currency
counterfeiting, physical security devices, and disaster planning. All
the material, promotion and arrangements were coordinated or devolved by
Steve.
Speakers Bureau
- Steve has developed so many presentations for Neighborhood Watch and
other groups that we have posted the availability of those sessions on
our web site. Presentations can be made to business groups, civic
organizations, schools, not for profit groups or any other group.
Steve spends many hours
representing our department at senior safety fairs, child safety fairs,
and many other events around the county. His knowledge and ability to
work with the public and be a front person for the Department is
invaluable. So many things have been accomplished and programs added
because of his willingness to take on any assignment or suggest a
program that we should be involved with. He is extremely dedicated to
raising the quality of life for the citizens of Van Buren County.
Jan 2010
January 27, 2010
Update
JURY
FINDS RONALD VORE III GUILTY OF CSC 1st DEGREE
Information:
Sheriff Dale Gribler reports that the trial of for Ronald Glenn Vore
III, commenced on January 26th 2010 in the 36th Circuit Court before
the Honorable William C. Buhl.
The two day trial was presented by Assistant Prosecutor
Michael Bedford. The jury received the case for deliberation early
Tuesday morning, returning a guilty verdict before noon of guilty as
charged in both counts. Vore III was in custody at the time of the
trial.
Sentencing is set for February 22nd at 1:15 p.m. in
the 36th Circuit Court, Paw Paw Michigan.
Incident #:
82544-08
Incident Type:
Criminal Sexual Assault
Date & Time:
July 28th, 2009 before 5:30 pm
Location of Incident:
43000 Block of M-43 Hwy, Waverly Twp, Paw Paw MI.
Victims Name:
Juvenile victims name withheld. She was 6 years old at the time of
incident.
Suspect Name:
Ronald
Glenn Vore III Male DOB 1/2/75. Lodged at the Van Buren County Jail
Criminal Charges:
CSC 1st Degree with person under the age of 13 yrs, CSC 2nd Degree with
person under the age of 13 yrs.
January 20,
2010
Sheriff Dale R. Gribler reports that the Van Buren
County Sheriffs Office Narcotics Detectives assisted the AFT Agents in
this federal investigation over the past few months. The investigation
has resulted in the indictment and arrest of Mr. Gray. Mr. Gray was
taken into custody on the indictment yesterday morning at his place of
business without incident. Mr. Gray made his appearance in the Grand
Rapids Federal Court.
LAWTON MAN FEDERALLY CHARGED WITH
UNLICENSED SALE OF FIREARMS
AND WITH SELLING A FIREARM TO A CONVICTED FELON
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Joseph Scott
Gray, 40, of Lawton, Michigan, was charged with two federal firearms
offenses, U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today. The first
charge alleges that he engaged in the business of selling firearms
without a license between October 15, 2008 and July 31, 2009. This is
a felony offense under federal law, carrying a maximum possible
penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and other
penalties. The second charge against Gray is that he sold a gun to a
convicted felon in violation of federal law. This is also a federal
felony, carrying a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of
$250,000 and other penalties. Gray has been arrested and brought
before Magistrate Judge Joseph Scoville for his first appearance and
released on a $15,000 bond.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the Van Buren County
Sheriff Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
explosives for its investigation of the case. This case is being
prosecuted on behalf of the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney
Timothy P. VerHey.
The charges in
an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed
innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Bryan R. Stump, D/Lieutenant
Van Buren County Sheriff's Office
Investigative & Narcotic's Units
205 S. Kalamazoo Street
Paw Paw, Michigan 49079
Office (269) 657-3101 x 208
Fax (269) 657-5160
Tri-Net Office (269) 657-8296
email
January 13, 2010
- Linda
Stermer trial and conviction.
Click
here for details.
Dec 2009
Nov 2009
Michigan
Telecommunicator of the Year
Awarded to
Van Buren Co. Man
 Sheriff
Dale R. Gribler announces Dispatcher Chad Jahr, a four year veteran of
Van Buren Central Dispatch, as the recipient of Michigan Association of
Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Telecommunicator of the
Year for 2009 at the annual dinner held in Frankenmuth on October 22nd.
Mr. Jahr was nominated for this prestigious award by Jeri Tapper,
Director of the Central Dispatch Center for his leadership, dedication
to public service, his commitment to excellence and customer service.
Also receiving recognition with a Certificate of
Excellence was Van Buren County Information Technology Director Shafeeq
Hameed. His hard work and dedication in the public safety field as a
leader and innovator is a vital asset to the 9-1-1 Operations Center.
Sheriff Gribler states:
We
are very fortunate to have such talented individuals working in Van
Buren County that are recognized for their efforts by a statewide
organization.
Sheriff Dale
Gribler Offers Safety Tips For Hunting Seas on
Michigan’s field and forests will
soon be alive with blaze orange hunting gear. Sheriff Dale Gribler
wants both visitors and residents of Van Buren County to know some
important safety rules before setting out to deer camp.
-
Your hunting license and the
identification used to purchase it (Michigan driver’s license,
identification card, or DNR sport card) must be carried with you at
all times while hunting.
-
All hunters must wear an item of
clothing (hat, cap, vest, jacket, or rain gear) in “hunter orange”, it
must be the outermost garment; and it must be visible from all sides.
If it is camouflage, at least 50 percent of the garment must be
orange.
-
Hunting hours begin approximately
one-half hour before sunrise and last until approximately one-half
hour after sunset.
-
Safety zones include all areas within
150 yards (450 feet) of an occupied building, house, cabin, barn, or
other farm building. You may not hunt in this area or shoot at any
animal within this area, unless you have the written permission of the
property owner.
-
It is illegal to drink alcohol or use
intoxicating rugs before hunting.
Take
the following precautions to prevent injury or death while hunting this
season:
Sheriff Gribler urges all hunters to act
responsibly this season.
Reacquaint
yourself with Michigan’s hunting laws and follow these safety tips to
prevent a tragedy from happening this year.
New Equipment To Fingerprint And Photograph
Children
Sheriff Dale R. Gribler is pleased to announce that the Van Buren County
Sheriff’s Office has purchased equipment to fingerprint and photograph
children. This equipment was purchased from Sentry Technologies of Charlotte,
NC and has proprietary printing and auto-capture features that allows for quick
fingerprinting and photo capture. The prints are captured electronically
instead of using ink as in the past so there is no clean-up required. From
start to finish less than five minutes is required. The $3,417 equipment was
made available through a Public Safety Grant.
Click here for details and why this is so
important.
Oct 2009
Halloween
Safety Tips
It’s that spooky time of year and Sheriff Dale Gribler
wants to remind parents how to keep your child safe this Halloween. The
excitement of children and adults at this time of year can sometimes
make them forget to be careful.
Teaching your children basic everyday safety will help make them safer
when they are out Trick- or-Treating.
-
Not getting into cars or talking to strangers
-
Watching both ways before crossing streets
-
Crossing when the lights tell you to.
These simple
common sense safety tips can do a lot to stop any tragedies from
happening.
 |
Help your child pick out or make a costume that will
be safe. Make the costume fire proof. Make sure the eye holes of
the costume are large enough for good peripheral vision. |
|
|
Children always want to help with the pumpkin
carving. Small children shouldn't be allowed to use a sharp knife to
cut the top or the face of the pumpkin. There are many kits
available that come with tiny saws that work better then knives and
are safer; although be careful because you can be cut by them as
well. It's best to let the children clean out the pumpkin and draw a
face on it, which you can carve for them. |
|
|
If you set jack-o-lanterns on your porch with candles
in them, make sure that they are far enough out of the way so that
children’s costumes won't accidentally be set on fire. |
|
|
Make sure that if your child is carrying a prop, such
as a scythe, butcher knife or a pitchfork, that the tips are smooth
and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on. |
|
|
Make sure that your child can see well while
trick-or-treating, including that their eyes are not covered by a
mask or hat and that they are carrying a flashlight if it is dark.
Make sure also that your child is easy to be seen by others. Have
them wear a costume that is bright or has some reflective tape on it
somewhere. |
|
|
Supervise young children (especially those under age
12) as they trick-or-treat; stay on sidewalks, use crosswalks and
watch for traffic, etc. |
|
|
Have a plan for trick-or-treating, such as staying in
the group, only going to houses that have lights on, not entering a
house without supervision, etc. This can help your children avoid
safety hazards and help make sure they follow your rules
|
|
|
Examine all of your child's candy for signs of
tampering and to make sure it is all age appropriate such as no hard
candy, which is a choking hazard for young children, etc.
|
Although Halloween is a fun time
of year for kids, it is no fun to get hurt. Members of the Van
Buren County Sheriff’s Office want you to take some time to make sure
your children have a safe, healthy, and fun Halloween.
Contact Information:
Lt. William Lux
email
269-675-2006
Van Buren County Awarded Federal
Reimbursement from the
FY2009 SCAAP PROGRAM
The U.S. Department
of Justice announced the award of $4,458.00 to Van Buren County, MI, to
reimburse some of the costs of incarcerating undocumented criminal
aliens who have committed serious crimes in the United States. The goal
of this program is to enhance public safety in communities throughout
the nation.
This opportunity originates from federally mandated
programs that the County is providing at local cost. As many local
entities are aware, the Federal Government drives local political
entities to assume more responsibility for the administration and
delivery of government services. Many times these services are funded
with local dollars.
However, in some cases there are federal funding
opportunities available, if the proper request is made. Identifying
federal funding stream opportunities and then properly applying for them
are not simple or easy tasks. The interaction between federal, state
and local political entities is complex, and often unwieldy for most
local political entities.
An aggressive program of researching and applying for
little known federal programs to supplement the local tax burden was
implemented by engaging Justice Benefits, Inc. (JBI) for assistance.
JBI is a public sector consulting firm located in
Dallas, Texas, that specializes in locating and accessing hard-to-find
federal reimbursements for local and state entities. JBI does the
research, gathers and analyzes the data, and completes all necessary
information to be included in the application. As a result of JBI’s
expertise and experience, Van Buren County was able to maximize its
dollar amount on this application. Van Buren County was one of only 900
(out of 3,140) eligible local entities across the U.S. that successfully
applied for these dollars.
Lt. Robert A. Kirk
Jail Administrator
Van Buren County Sheriff's Office
205 S. Kalamazoo St.
Paw Paw, Mi 49079
Phone: (269) 657-2171 Ext. 260
Fax: (269) 657-7574
E-mail
Sep 2009
SHERIFF GRIBLER URGES
RESIDENTS TO BUCKLE UP
AND DRIVE SOBER LABOR DAY WEEKEND
As families and friends come together from all over Michigan to enjoy
this Labor Day Weekend, Sheriff Gribler urges drivers to be smart:
Buckle Up and Do Not Drive Impaired. Deputies will be working hard this
weekend in Van Buren County to stop impaired driving and enforce
Michigan’s Seat Belt Law.
During this high traffic time, it is especially
important for travelers to wear their seat belts and refrain from using
any substances that impair driving. “Drivers who operate vehicles while
they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol cost Michigan residents
millions of dollars each year in lost time, lost property, and most
importantly, lost lives,” said Sheriff Gribler. “The greatest tragedy
is that deaths due to impaired driving are preventable – these are not
accidents.”
Michigan is second in the nation in seatbelt use.
Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between seatbelt
use and crash survival. “Seatbelts save lives,” said Sheriff Gribler.
“Please remember to buckle up each and every time you get in your
vehicle.”
Aug 2009
It’s that time of year… School Zones will soon be back in action
as students begin the 2009-10 School year. As a result, our roads get
busy with school buses, parents opting to drive their children to and
from school, and students walking or biking to school. To ensure a safe
and successful school year, Van Buren County Sheriff Dale Gribler wants
to remind parents and students of a few
Back to School
safety tips.
Bus Riders
-
Have a safe place to wait for your bus, away from traffic and off the
street.
-
Never sit on the roadway while waiting for your bus.
-
Stay away from the bus until the driver gives his-her signal that it's
okay to approach.
-
Be aware of the street traffic around you. Protect yourself and watch
out!
-
While riding the bus, remain seated and conduct yourself in an orderly
fashion. Aisles in the bus should remain clear.
-
Don’t stick anything out side the bus windows.
Motorists
-
Allow extra time to reach your destination and watch for cars,
pedestrians, bicyclists, skateboarders, crossing guards and school
buses.
-
Both directions of traffic must stop when school bus stop arm(s) and
flashing red lights are displayed.
-
Be aware of the speed limit and your speed, especially in school zones
and around schools. A speeding ticket in a posted school zone will
cost double the usual speeding fine.
Walkers and Bike Riders
Parents:
-
Take the time to carefully review your children's route to school
before the first day and stress the importance of not wandering off.
-
Be realistic about your child's pedestrian skills. Because small
children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic, carefully
consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school
without adult supervision.
If your child is young or is walking to a new school, walk with them
the first week to make sure they know the route and can do it safely
Students on bikes:
-
Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride.
-
Ride on the right; in the same direction as auto traffic (younger
children should use sidewalks).
-
Wear bright color clothing to increase visibility.
-
Walk your bike through intersections.
Students
walking:
-
Mind all traffic signals and-or the crossing guard -- never cross
the street against a light, even if you don't see any traffic
coming. Learn what traffic signals and signs mean.
-
Walk with a buddy.
-
Wear reflective material...it makes you more visible to street
traffic.
-
Stay off the road.
-
Never walk between parked cars.
Riding in a car
-
All passengers must wear a seat belt and-or an age and
size-appropriate car safety seat or booster seat. Michigan’s safety
belt law is now primary – you can and will be stopped and
ticketed for not wearing your safety belt. Drivers are responsible for
their passengers under 16 years of age when it comes to proper safety
belt and car seat use.
-
Remember . . . many crashes occur while novice teen drivers are going
to and from school. Parents should:
equire
seat belt use by the driver and all passengers,
-
limit the number of teen passengers,
-
not allow eating, drinking, cell phone conversations, or texting to
prevent driver distraction,
-
limit nighttime driving and driving in inclement weather.
Dealing with strangers
-
Always tell your parents where you are going and when you will return.
-
Always walk with a friend. Don’t take shortcuts through woods or back
streets.
-
Never approach strange vehicles or people.
-
Keep your distance and always give yourself room to run from
strangers. Remember, strangers should always ask directions from
adults not children.
-
Never go with a stranger to look for a missing pet or to play a game.
-
If a stranger follows or grabs you, yell loud and run away. If you
need to, fight back and make as much noise as you can. Run to a safe
place and call 9-1-1.
SUPERVISOR CONTACT:
Lieutenant William Lux (269) 657-2006
Jul 2009
Fireworks Safety
July 1, 2009
Enjoying fireworks displays at dusk is synonymous with Fourth of July Celebrations, however, Van Buren
County Sheriff Dale Gribler wants to remind area residents fireworks can
be deadly.
Last year more than 10,000 people were injured by
fireworks, with children under the age of 15 accounting for one-third of
those injuries. In Michigan, a Melvindale mother of three was killed on
July 4, 2007 after being struck by a commercially made firework.
There are two classes of fireworks. Class B
fireworks are manufactured for use in the professional displays like
the one put on in our local cities and villages. These fireworks are
illegal in the state of Michigan without a permit. Class C fireworks
are the kind commonly sold in stores for consumer use. Examples of Class
C fireworks include paper caps, toy trick noise makers,
sparklers, fountains, toy snakes and toy smoke devices. No permit is
needed for these fireworks.
If you are
unsure whether your fireworks are class B or C, follow this one simple
guideline: if it makes a loud bang or leaves
the ground, then it is illegal,
said Sheriff Gribler.
The most important thing you can do is to educate your family and set a
good example.
Sheriff Gribler offers
the following guidelines for the safe use of fireworks for at-home
displays:
-
Stay
away from illegal explosives.
-
Obey the local and state laws and
USE COMMON SENSE.
-
Read the fireworks instructions and follow
them. If an item looks damaged, don’t use it
-
Purchase fireworks only from reputable
dealers or stores. Legal fireworks are tested as to quality and
safety. Never attempt to build your own
fireworks or use illegal explosives such as M-80’s or Cherry Bombs.
-
A responsible adult should supervise all
firework usage. When used properly, all fireworks can be safe.
-
Fireworks are meant to be used one at a
time. Do not combine or mix fireworks at the same time because fuses
have different burn rates. Actions like this invite accidents.
-
Use fireworks outdoors only, away from
houses and vehicles.
-
Never point or throw fireworks at anyone,
including your pets.
-
Remember alcohol and fireworks don’t mix.
-
Use protective eye wear and keep a hose
nearby. Don’t try to re-light a DUD, but soak it
for 15 minutes and dispose of properly.
Let’s make the Fourth
of July a safe holiday by exercising care and common sense when you use
fireworks.
Dale R. Gribler,
Sheriff
Van Buren County
205 S. Kalamazoo Street
Paw Paw, Michigan 49079
(269) 657-2006
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