Safety is top priority ahead of Columbia’s Fire in the Sky; more than 750 fireworks expected to be lit
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The City of Columbia on Saturday will host its 74th annual Fourth of July Fire in the Sky celebration at Stephens Lake Park.
The event is set to start at 6:30 p.m., with a fireworks show taking place around 9:15 p.m.
Moira Theis, Recreation Specialist with Columbia Parks and Recreation, said the event has something for everyone.
"We have everything from kids' activities to inflatables to a whole bunch of food trucks to a whole bunch of live entertainment at all times," she said.
When it comes to event safety, officials say they are partnering closely with local emergency services to coordinate plans for the event. Theis says one of the biggest concerns she has heard is hesitation about large crowds.
"Yeah. So the biggest thing I hear a lot is that people are hesitant about crowds. All of our eyes, full-time staff here, are trained in crowd management," she said.
To handle the summer heat, officials say they are working closely with medical partners to keep everyone safe.
“On site, we will have several partners with EMS from Boone and from Mizzou, as well as our First Aid station right at the front staffed with people to cool you down, as well as the hydration station here this year," she said.
When it comes to the safety plans regarding the fireworks show, officials say safety measures are locked in as crews prepare to fire off 757 fireworks Saturday.
“We have a contracted company that we work with for our fireworks. They are very well equipped with backups and backup backups to make sure the fireworks run smoothly," Theis said.
Crews will rope off a designated area near the launch site to keep the public at a safe distance.
"When fireworks are shot off, the shells smoke, things like that, we don't want anybody to be hurt by those," she said.
The Columbia Fire Department said they have been working with the fireworks vendor to ensure that everything is up to code. Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said the department will have resources around the event.
“We have several fire department resources scattered throughout the course and throughout the event to make sure that if we do have an emergency, they're within five minutes or less of a response," he said.
Schaeffer added if you want to enjoy fireworks this holiday weekend, leaving it to the experts is the best way to go.
“This is going to be the safest event for people to actually view fireworks," he said. "And we have professionals throughout the event that are actually doing the work and making sure that everything is to code and that everything is safe."
If you plan on attending the event, officials say that parking will be available on the west side of the park in the Boone Hospital parking lot and the Columbia Police Department will provide traffic assistance.
Go COMO Transit will also have free service from all six Columbia parking garages. The shuttle service will start running at 5-11 p.m.
East Walnut Street will be closed to non-residential traffic that evening. Residents of East Walnut Street do not need a pass to access the road, an earlier press release from the city says.
