I can't figure out if Vienna's Mayor Jane Seeman is a clueless dumbass or a heartless bitch. You decide.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/04/AR2009060404413.html

The Town is certainly clueless. I wonder if the plaintiffs have tried suing to stop the event for 2009 due to seemingly-systemic safety problems with Vienna fireworks events. Not that Vienna should be holding one anyway with tax receipts down all over the state.

There's a very interesting comment posted on that article under the name prezobama (I assume not actually the President). Here it is:

"Did anyone bother to do the math for the safety cordon? Even if they did increase it like the Fire marshal wanted the shell still would have hit an area people would be allowed in. The National code says 70 feet per inch of shell, that would be a 280 feet cordon since they were using 4 inch shells. The fire marshal wanted 100 feet per inch which would lead to a 400 feet cordon. The shell (a 3 inch one, not 4 inch, I might add) landed 450 feet away from the launch point. That's more than the 400 feet the marshal wanted. I also think it is hard to fault a town for relying on a national standard or fire code. You'd have to assume that the national fire code would provide enough protection under normal circumstances. There weren't normal circumstances due to a faulty product. That is were the blame lies. I think it is an impossible job to show that the town was negligent. They did attempt to follow some safety standard."

But name-calling is way more fun than math, right Mrs. K?

I'm probably going to catch heat for this, but anytime you are going to see a pyrotechnic show, there is an inherent risk for you as a spectator.

Why does somebody need to be liable? Accidents happen. The Vienna 4th of July fireworks has gone on for as long as I've been alive and ONE accident should make them stop it? How about everybody stop flying, stop driving, stop playing sports. Shit happens. Deal with it or stay in your house.

From the actual article (not some random comment):

Vienna had hosted a fireworks show at Waters Field, just off Route 123 in the heart of the town, for more than 20 years. But starting in 2001, problems arose, sometimes because of the wind. A resident who lives near Waters Field wrote to the mayor in 2001 that "large pieces of shell cases landed on the roofs and yards," a letter produced in the lawsuits shows.

In 2002, a Fairfax fire marshal wrote that "we observed several pieces of flaming debris land on people located in this area" and that "large (4-inch) diameter shells present safety hazards for this restricted site. Shells should be restricted to three inches."

Vienna continued to use 4-inch and 3-inch shells. In 2004, Fairfax decided to increase the distance between spectators and the launch site by 30 feet per inch of shell, or 120 extra feet for a four-inch shell. The national standard is 70 feet per inch of shell.

Vienna Mayor M. Jane Seeman responded with a letter to the Fairfax Board of Supervisors, complaining that the new rule will "force the Town to significantly decrease the size and scope of the show. The Town of Vienna carries its own insurance and we feel that as long as we abide by [national fire code] standards there should not be a problem."

Fairfax backed down. Then-Fire Chief Michael P. Neuhard wrote to the board that "it was decided to leave the section Mayor Seeman referred to as it is currently written." Neuhard added that "the Town of Vienna fireworks display each Fourth of July causes the Fire Prevention Division more concern than any other site in Fairfax County," in part because of problems with "fallout (ash) raining down on the spectators."

Andre Hollis, who stayed home to help a neighbor and was not with his family members when they were hit, said: "A government has a responsibility to protect its citizens from known threats. And I stress 'known.' Because the town of Vienna's own documents show they knew of this risk for years. And when confronted with this, the mayor said, 'So what? We have insurance.' "

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"Do the Math" what do you call a Mayor who knew that they were putting peoples' lives at risk, but instead fought to keep the size and scope of the firework show because they had insurance if something bad happened?

I'm tending towards heartless bitch, but I could be persuaded to go with clueless dumbass if someone can prove she was working on the recommendation of folks who should have known better, like Howard Springsteen from the VFD.

Agreed. I'm sick of the litigation, takes away too much fun for all us.

If it's man made, it's going to eff up every once in awhile. I feel bad for anyone who gets burned or injured, but that is a common sense danger that must be considered at these events.

On that note, time to go spill some hot McD's coffee in my lap.

;

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2015 07:02PM by WingNut.

The 2007 fireworks were advertised as a fun family event,and the injured people sat where the town told them it was safe to.

I guarentee you if someone had told those people beforehand that the county firemarshall didn't think it was safe to sit that close, most wouldn't have put themselves or their families in that situation.

And I do believe in personal responsibility, too. That's why I'm not bringing the family to Southside for the Vienna fireworks. We'll watch them from safety of our own backyard, thank you very much.

Call it a random comment if you want, but that doesn't change the fact that even with the county's proposed longer standoff distance, that rocket would have landed in the crowd. Therefore, your assertion that the county fire marshal didn't think those people were sitting in a safe place is false. It's clear that neither the national fire code nor the county's proposed stricter requirements were prepared for a rocket that went sideways instead of up.

The article includes a priceless quote from the plaintiff's lawyer: "The innocent spectators should be able to be compensated without having to prove somebody did something wrong."

I hope you do a good job shoveling your sidewalk, because that lawyer's website says they got someone $320K when they slipped on ice outside a 7-11.

I remember going to the vienna fireworks years ago and seeing burning paper fall on a family's picnic blanket- Luckily the father stomped it out before it could really get started.

I agree that there is an inherent risk to attending firework events, but the actual details of this situation seem to merit a legal solution.

WP:
"According to their lawsuits, the Kus suffered severe burns, perforated eardrums and puncture wounds from the shell's debris, and the Hollises suffered disfiguring burns and traumatic brain injuries from the blast."

Seriously, if this were your family, you would sue.

It's a fucking fireworks show, every person there is taking a risk. That guy should be banned from watching fireworks for the rest of his life.