Indoor Pyrotechnics Legislation-North Carolina

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General Assembly gives final approval to regular indoor pyrotechnic
displays

(Raleigh-AP) -- The General Assembly has given final approval to
legislation that would require local fire marshals to approve
indoor pyrotechnic displays.
The state Senate agreed to a House version of the bill filed in
response to a February fire at a Rhode Island nightclub that killed
99 people. The measure now goes to Governor Mike Easley for his
signature.
The legislation would allow county commissioners or city
governments to issue permits for indoor pyrotechnics only after a
fire marshal has determined that adequate fire suppression systems
exist. The building would also have to be deemed suitable for the
displays and have adequate exits.
People who violated the legislation would be guilty of a
misdemeanor.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Wisconsin Steps up

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Bands and other entertainers performing in
venues with a capacity of fewer than 500 people would be banned
from using pyrotechnics in their acts under a bill the Wisconsin
Senate approved Tuesday in response to a deadly nightclub fire in
Rhode Island.
The Senate approved the bill on a voice vote and sent it to the
Assembly. It needs the approval of the full Legislature and Gov.
Jim Doyle to become law.
Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, proposed the legislation in
response to a Feb. 20 fire at a Rhode Island nightclub that killed
100 people. Authorities believe the blaze began after pyrotechnics
from the band Great White set foam soundproofing inside the
building on fire. Nearly 200 people were injured.
Kedzie said it was common sense to ban pyrotechnics in smaller
venues that typically have lower ceilings and other features that
increase the danger of fire, threatening the safety of patrons.
"Those who are attending these events are at risk without even
knowing it," Kedzie said.
There is currently no state law regarding the use of
pyrotechnics in Wisconsin, and venues only have to receive local
permits for their use.
Kedzie said the bill would also give promoters and venue owners
a clear standard for when fireworks are allowed instead of the
current patchwork of local ordinances.
Larger venues would continue to be subject only to local rules
for the use of pyrotechnics. But the bill would impose various
fines, from $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail for a single violation
and up to $10,000 and up to six years in prison for a violation
resulting in death.
The bill would have an exemption for the use of fireworks in an
educational display put on by a post secondary institution.
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The bill is SB 104.
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On the Net:
State Legislature: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)