Local Elections : Fireworks Group Puts On Costly Campaign to Defuse Measure A

Telephone calls, posters and leaflets are part of a $70,000 campaign to defeat Measure A, which would ban fireworks in the City of Anaheim, in Tuesday’s election.

The campaign was mounted by the California Pyrotechnics Assn., which hired the Orange-based political consultant firm of Nason, Lundberg & Associates and recently flew two experts to Orange County from Washington to explain the positive side of fireworks to the media. The association had spent $70,038.46 as of Oct. 21 to spread its message, according to campaign statements.

On the other side of the issue is the Anaheim Fire Department, which has hired no one, organized no group or movement and spent no money on the issue.

“We don’t have time to campaign against fireworks,” said Anaheim’s acting fire chief, Jeff Bowman, who signed the ballot argument in favor of a fireworks ban. “Our position is that they are dangerous, they do cause fires and they do cause injuries.”

The Anaheim City Council agreed to the ballot measure--which asks voters whether to continue allowing the sale and use of “safe and sane” fireworks in the city--after a major fire at the Casa de Valencia Apartments on July 3.

Firefighters found both the legal “safe and sane” fireworks and the illegal ones, such as bottle rockets, at the site of the fire, which caused damage estimated at more than $2 million and left many homeless. Bowman said the investigation of the fire is continuing and that fireworks have not been pinpointed as the sole cause.

Dale C. Miller is a retired director from the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission division of inspection and enforcement and a private consultant with the pyrotechnics association. In a recent local tour sponsored by the association, Miller argued that banning the “safe and sane” fireworks will result in more injuries because people will buy more dangerous fireworks.