Treasure Island considers ban personal firework use on beaches, city parks

TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. - The City of Treasure Island may soon adopt an ordinance banning personal firework use on beaches and in city parks ahead of the Fourth of July. On Tuesday night, a city commission workshop was hosted to discuss the topic for the first time.

Treasure Island Police Chief John Barkley said the fireworks got out of hand in 2023 and spread his staff as well as the fire department thin responding to firework-related calls.

"We had a meeting after the Fourth of July [in 2023] and our police chief came in and said his officers came out and people were legitimately scared for their lives out there," said Jason Beisel, the Treasure Island public information officer. "There were so many fireworks going up and so many people shooting fireworks going all over the place. He said it looked like a war zone to him."

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Meanwhile, Carrie Auerbach, the founder of Treasure Island's Adopt-a-Beach, said fireworks are an environmental hazard that gets worse each year.

"Some of the worst offenses are the sparklers, the kid’s sparklers, and they get finished, and they just get left on the beach," said Auerbach. "You can’t see them. They’re so dangerous to pierce a foot, so we’re really careful about being out there on the beach."

City staff hopes to move the topic forward as quickly as possible, before this upcoming Fourth of July holiday. This topic will be discussed again at the next city commission meeting on Tuesday, May 21.

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