JOHNSTON, Iowa — Each Fourth of July weekend there are cookouts, fireworks and sometimes firework-related injuries.
According to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2021 fireworks were involved with around 11,500 injuries.
Representatives from Broadlawns Medical Center and Mary Greeley Medical Center both said from Friday to Sunday morning this past weekend they had zero firework-related injuries in their emergency rooms.
Though both facilities saw zero firework-related injuries, Fire Marshal Craig Ver Huel, with the Johnston-Grimes Metropolitan Fire Department, said people still need to be careful as the holiday celebrations continue.
This included not letting children handle fireworks or watching them if they use sparklers, because he said they can reach temperatures higher than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
He also recommended people who are handling fireworks stay sober, because if not it could lead to problems.
"There's always that possibility where things don't go as planned," Ver Huel said. "Don't point them at other people, don't throw them at other people."
Ver Huel noted when people are trying to put out fireworks it's best to soak them in water before throwing them in the trash.
He also said if anyone has extra fireworks and is uneasy about disposing of them themselves, they can drop them off at the Johnston-Grimes Metropolitan Fire Department.
Local 5 did reach out to UnityPoint and MercyOne to see if they had any firework-related injuries over the weekend.
UnityPoint did not respond and MercyOne said they don't have the capacity to track that data at this time.
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