| 43 | | - | WHEREAS, illegal fireworks in Hawaii pose a significant safety, environmental, and health issue and this body finds it necessary for agencies across the islands to disseminate a public service announcement (PSA) concerning fireworks safety; and WHEREAS, past PSAs have been effective in changing attitudes and behaviors regarding tobacco, and this body seeks to do likewise with a fireworks PSA; and WHEREAS, fireworks are viewed in many communities in Hawaii as merely harmless fun; and WHEREAS, in just twenty-four hours, from December 31, 2023, to January 1, 2024, the Honolulu Fire Department responded to twenty-three fireworks-related fires; and WHEREAS, during this period, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services responded to seven fireworks-related injuries, including to keiki and kupuna, that were disfiguring and will have life-long consequences for the injured individuals; and WHEREAS, during December 2023 alone, the Department of Law Enforcement confiscated sixteen tons of illegal fireworks and since its inception, the Department has seized thirty-five thousand pounds of fireworks; and WHEREAS, fireworks can also trigger a military veteran's post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as seven percent of all veterans on average will suffer from PTSD during their lifetimes; and WHEREAS, however, of the more recent veterans of the Persian Gulf war, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom, thirty percent will experience PTSD during their lifetimes; and WHEREAS, according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, fireworks may cue memories of combat or explosions and may be reminders of intense fires or gun violence; and WHEREAS, according to The Humane Society of the United States, during holidays involving fireworks, pet animals are often frightened from the noise and commotion of fireworks, causing them to flee from familiar environments, often becoming lost; and WHEREAS, the bright lights from fireworks frequently cause animals to run into the streets, and wildlife rehabilitation centers are often flooded with all sorts of wildlife affected by fireworks; and WHEREAS, leading up to the 2023 New Year Celebration, the Hawaiian Humane Society estimated that twenty percent of pets will go missing on New Year's Eve and that in 2022, it received seventy to eighty animals after the New Year celebration; and WHEREAS, as an isolated archipelago, Hawaii is home to many unique and endemic species of wildlife, including twenty-six forest bird species, and most of these species are considered vulnerable, near-threatened, threatened, endangered, or critically endangered; and WHEREAS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has stated that the trash from fireworks poses major risks to animals because sea birds and marine animals can mistake this debris for food, resulting in malnutrition, internal injuries, intestinal blockage, starvation, and even death; and WHEREAS, the effects of illegal fireworks are significant and wide-ranging, including the physical injuries to and psychological effects on individuals, displacement of pets, and negative impacts on wildlife; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that the Department of Law Enforcement, fire departments and police departments of each county, humane societies in each county, and media organizations throughout the State are urged to collaborate to create and disseminate public service announcements to highlight the dangers of, and advocate against the use of, illegal fireworks in order to protect the health and safety of the community, pets, and wildlife; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Law Enforcement; Fire Chiefs of the Honolulu Fire Department, Hawaii Fire Department, Maui Fire Department, and Kauai Fire Department; Police Chiefs of the Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii Police Department, Maui Police Department, and Kauai Fire Department; President and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society; President of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Island Humane Society; CEO of Maui Humane Society; Executive Director of Kauai Humane Society; President and General Manager of Hawaii News Now; General Manager of KHON2; President & General Manager of KITV; President & General Manager of Hawaii Public Radio; President of iHeartMedia in Honolulu; President & Publisher of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; Editor and General Manager of Honolulu Civil Beat; Editor of the Hawaii Tribune Herald; Editor of West Hawaii Today; Publisher of The Maui News; and Editor of The Garden Island. Report Title: Illegal Fireworks; Public Service Announcement |
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| 43 | + | WHEREAS, illegal fireworks in Hawaii pose a significant safety, environmental, and health issue and this body finds it necessary for agencies across the islands to place a public service announcement (PSA) concerning fireworks safety; and WHEREAS, past PSAs have been effective in changing attitudes and behaviors regarding tobacco, and this body seeks to do likewise with a fireworks PSA; and WHEREAS, fireworks are viewed in many communities in Hawaii as merely harmless fun; and WHEREAS, in just one day, from December 31, 2023, to January 1, 2024, the Honolulu Fire Department responded to twenty-three fireworks-related fires; and WHEREAS, during this period, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services also responded to seven fireworks-related injuries, including to keiki and kupuna, that were disfiguring and will have life-long consequences for the injured individuals; and WHEREAS, during December 2023 alone, the Department of Law Enforcement confiscated sixteen tons of illegal fireworks and since its inception, the Department has seized 35,000 pounds of fireworks; and WHEREAS, fireworks can also trigger a military veteran's post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as seven percent of all veterans on average will suffer from PTSD during their lifetimes; and WHEREAS, however, of the more recent veterans of the Persian Gulf war, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom, thirty percent will experience PTSD during their lifetimes; and WHEREAS, according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, fireworks may cue memories of combat or explosions and may be reminders of intense fires or gun violence; and WHEREAS, according to The Humane Society of the United States, during holidays involving fireworks, pet animals are often frightened from the noise and commotion of fireworks, causing them to flee from familiar environments, often becoming lost; and WHEREAS, the bright lights from fireworks frequently cause animals to run into the streets, and wildlife rehabilitation centers are often flooded with all sorts of wildlife affected by fireworks; and WHEREAS, during the 2022 New Year Celebration, the Hawaiian Humane Society indicated that twenty percent of pets are lost during celebrations involving fireworks and that during that time, it received seventy to eighty animals after the New Year; and WHEREAS, as an isolated archipelago, Hawaii is home to many unique and endemic species of wildlife, including twenty-six forest bird species, and most of these species are considered vulnerable, near-threatened, threatened, endangered, or critically endangered; and WHEREAS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has stated that the trash from fireworks poses major risks to animals, because sea birds and marine animals can mistake this debris for food, resulting in malnutrition, internal injuries, intestinal blockage, starvation, and even death; and WHEREAS, the effects of illegal fireworks are significant and wide-ranging, including the physical injuries to and psychological effects on individuals, to the displacement of pets, and the negative impact on wildlife; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that the Department of Law Enforcement, fire departments and police departments of each county, humane societies in each county, and media organizations throughout the State are urged to collaborate to create and disseminate public service announcements to highlight the dangers of, and advocate against the use of, illegal fireworks in order to protect the health and safety of the community, pets, and wildlife; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Law Enforcement; Fire Chiefs of the Honolulu Fire Department, Hawaii Fire Department, Maui Fire Department, and Kauai Fire Department; Police Chiefs of the Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii Police Department, Maui Police Department, and Kauai Fire Department; President and CEO of the Hawaiian Humane Society; President of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Island Humane Society; CEO of Maui Humane Society; Executive Director of Kauai Humane Society; President and General Manager of Hawaii News Now; General Manager of KHON2; President & General Manager of KITV; President & General Manager of Hawaii Public Radio; head of iHeartMedia in Honolulu; President & Publisher of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; Editor and General Manager of Honolulu Civil Beat; editor of the Hawaii Tribune Herald; editor of West Hawaii Today; Publisher of The Maui News; and Editor of The Garden Island. OFFERED BY: _____________________________ Report Title: Illegal Fireworks; Public Service Announcement |
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