The Marshall Police Department would like to remind the public of the city’s ordinance regarding fireworks as residents prepare to celebrate Independence Day on Friday, July 4th.

Each year, Marshall’s fireworks ordinance allows for residents to discharge consumer fireworks from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4. The ordinance describes “consumer fireworks” as any explosive devices designed primarily to produce visible or audible effects by combustion and include aerial devices and ground devices.

Residents are not allowed to discharge fireworks on public land owned by the city. It is also illegal to ignite fireworks within 600 feet of a church, hospital, mental health facility, or school; 300 feet of any permanent storage of ignitable liquid, gases, gasoline pump, and gasoline filling station; or to discharge fireworks from a motorized vehicle, including watercraft or any other means of transportation, or at or near any person or group of people.

The Marshall Police Department is also offering the following safety tips to help residents celebrate the holiday safely and responsibly:

-Never allow young children to handle fireworks,
-Older children should use them only under close adult supervision,
-Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol,
-Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear,
-Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands,
-Never light them indoors,
-Only use them away from people, houses, and flammable material,
-Never point or throw fireworks at another person,
-Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting,
-Never ignite devices in a container,
-Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks,
-Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding,
-Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don’t go off or in case of fire,
-Never use illegal fireworks.

The city is holding a fireworks display on Friday, July 4 at Indian Foothills Park in Marshall.