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Banner file photo
Don’t look for a display like this over the town this coming 4th of July. Selectmen nix fireworks due to public safety concerns. |
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Fireworks shot down
By Ann Wood
Banner Staff
PROVINCETOWN — There will be no flaming balls, sparks or waterfalls illuminating Provincetown’s sky this Fourth of July. That’s because on Monday night the Board of Selectmen effectively ignored a non-binding Special Town Meeting referendum in November in which the town unanimously voted to celebrate the Fourth on the fourth — with fireworks.
Town Clerk Doug Johnstone has no records of how long the fireworks have served as a celebration of Independence Day, but directed the Banner to Dept. of Public Works deputy director and Provincetown native Sandra Turner. She didn’t want her age in the paper, but said she remembers fireworks being shot off every Fourth of July in Provincetown.
The unanimous decision to not have the fireworks on the Fourth blindsided the few residents at that meeting. On Dec. 5, in a split vote, the board had approved the Fourth of July fireworks for 2006 and created a review board to oversee the event.
When selectmen chair Cheryl Andrews was asked on Tuesday about changing the decision without public input, she said she was well aware of what happened.
“We know who wasn’t in the room, a lot of people. You know public safety trumps and you absolutely must respond to new information,” she said.
While it could be assumed that the board is trying to prevent sparks from flying after the fireworks, as they did last year when an estimated crowd of 50,000 to 100,000 got out of control and led to several arrests, the selectmen were adamant that the cancellation had to do with a concern over public safety.
This followed statements by Fire Chief Michael Trovato in which he said he needed nine to 11 ambulances, and had put in a request to Cape Cod Ambulance Company in Hyannis for assistance, but was denied.
“Historically it’s been tight. Over the last two years it’s been unacceptable to have that many people for the number of ambulances that we had,” he said Tuesday. Last year, he said, Provincetown received assistance from Truro, but then a post-fireworks accident on Route 6 occurred in Truro and no ambulance was there to respond.
Trovato told the board that he is looking to Barnstable County for ambulances, but that he might not know whether Provincetown would have them until May. That, Turner said, was too late. The money would have already been spent if the event had to be cancelled.
“I don’t see how we can go forward with the fireworks,” said Selectman Sarah Peake, adding that public safety is a priority. “Let’s call the whole thing off for a year at any rate. … I think if people know there are no fireworks there’ll be a dramatic … drop in the number of people here.”
Even Austin Knight, who petitioned the referendum and served on a review board to oversee the Fourth-with-fireworks event, sided with the selectmen after reading Police Chief Ted Meyer and Trovato’s report, which he received on Friday.
“First of all, there was no guarantee that there were going to be emergency services here and ambulances for the project,” he said of his turn-around.
The report states that the fire chief is responsible for signing off on the fireworks permit “and he will only do so if he is satisfied that all public safety matters have been addressed. Chief among those issues … is the ability of the rescue service to not only provide vital medical response but also to be able to efficiently run ambulance services that will not leave anyone without the ability to get a timely response, if necessary.” Other problems cited include overcrowded bars, and Meyer worries about his ability to have enough “public safety personnel” in town.
The report asked for a “maximum” of $54,485 for the fireworks event, which included seven deputy sheriffs, 26 Provincetown personnel, 15 state troopers, DPW personnel, the barge and fireworks, 20 port-a-potties, five ambulances from other Cape towns, an Outer Cape Health Services doctor, nurse and administrator and supplies, food and refreshments for personnel and Plymouth County mounted patrol (horse patrol).
That number, however, didn’t dissuade the selectmen, who placed $50,000 in an article on the April 3 Annual Town Meeting Warrant for a Fourth of July celebration and fireworks to be held on a different date. (That number may be amended on the floor of Town Meeting.)
Andrews called the Banner Tuesday because, she said, she wanted to put a “positive spin” on the vote. She wants the town to have a “Norman Rockwell” Independence Day celebration, with maybe a downtown barbeque or some bands.
“Maybe for an older crowd, maybe for a better behaved crowd,” she said, adding that the board will discuss the event at its meeting March 13. “The board is committed to a really great celebration on the Fourth of July.”
And, she said, there will be fireworks. Just not on the Fourth.
“I’m going to be publicly supporting having [the fireworks] with the Portuguese Festival,” she said, adding that it’d be the perfect time because it’s close to the Fourth (June 22-25); it’s the festival’s 10th anniversary; it has had fireworks once before but discontinued them because of money and the “big party” has already been organized.
Meanwhile Trovato continues to make calls to try and get more ambulances to town for the Fourth, fireworks or not.
“We can always say that we don’t want them. We never finished the process. We were just told it would be too late,” he said.
awood@provincetownbanner.com
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Mar 2nd, 2006