Effective: September 29, 2011
Latest Legislation: House Bill 153, Senate Bill 171 - 129th General Assembly
(A) A licensed exhibitor of fireworks may acquire fireworks for use at a public fireworks exhibition only from a licensed manufacturer of fireworks or licensed wholesaler of fireworks, and only in accordance with the procedures specified in this section and section 3743.55 of the Revised Code.
(B)(1) A licensed exhibitor of fireworks who wishes to conduct a public fireworks exhibition shall apply for approval to conduct the exhibition to whichever of the following persons is appropriate under the circumstances:
(a) Unless division (B)(1)(c) or (d) of this section applies, if the exhibition will take place in a municipal corporation, the approval shall be obtained from the fire chief, and from the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or similar chief law enforcement officer, of the particular municipal corporation.
(b) Unless division (B)(1)(c) or (d) of this section applies, if the exhibition will take place in an unincorporated area, the approval shall be obtained from the fire chief of the particular township or township fire district, and from the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or similar chief law enforcement officer, of the particular township, or township or joint police district.
(c) If fire protection services for the premises on which the exhibition will take place are provided in accordance with a contract between political subdivisions, the approval shall be obtained from the fire chief of the political subdivision providing the fire protection services and from the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or similar chief law enforcement officer, of the political subdivision in which the premises on which the exhibition will take place are located. If police services for the premises on which the exhibition will take place are provided in accordance with a contract between political subdivisions, the approval shall be obtained from the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or similar chief law enforcement officer, of the political subdivision providing the police services and from the fire chief of the political subdivision in which the premises on which the exhibition will take place are located. If both fire and police protection services for the premises on which the exhibition will take place are provided in accordance with a contract between political subdivisions, the approval shall be obtained from the fire chief, and from the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or similar chief law enforcement officer, of the political subdivisions providing the police and fire protection services.
(d) If there is no municipal corporation, township, or township fire district fire department, no municipal corporation, township, or township or joint police district police department, and no contract for police or fire protection services between political subdivisions covering the premises on which the exhibition will take place, the approval shall be obtained from the fire prevention officer, and from the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, having jurisdiction over the premises.
(2) The approval required by division (B)(1) of this section shall be evidenced by the fire chief or fire prevention officer and by the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, signing a permit for the exhibition. The fire marshal shall prescribe the form of exhibition permits and distribute copies of the form to fire chiefs, to fire prevention officers, and to police chiefs or other similar chief law enforcement officers of municipal corporations, townships, or township or joint police districts, or their designees, in this state. Any exhibitor of fireworks who wishes to conduct a public fireworks exhibition may obtain a copy of the form from the fire marshal or, if it is available, from a fire chief, a fire prevention officer, a police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer of a municipal corporation, township, or township or joint police district, or a designee of such a police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer.
(C) Before a permit is signed and issued to a licensed exhibitor of fireworks, the fire chief or fire prevention officer, in consultation with the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer or with the designee of the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, shall inspect the premises on which the exhibition will take place and shall determine that, in fact, the applicant for the permit is a licensed exhibitor of fireworks. Each applicant shall show the applicant's license as an exhibitor of fireworks to the fire chief or fire prevention officer.
The fire chief or fire prevention officer, and the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, shall give approval to conduct a public fireworks exhibition only if satisfied, based on the inspection, that the premises on which the exhibition will be conducted allow the exhibitor to comply with the rules adopted by the fire marshal pursuant to divisions (B) and (E) of section 3743.53 of the Revised Code and that the applicant is, in fact, a licensed exhibitor of fireworks. The fire chief or fire prevention officer, in consultation with the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer or with the designee of the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, may inspect the premises immediately prior to the exhibition to determine if the exhibitor has complied with the rules, and may revoke a permit for noncompliance with the rules.
(D) If the legislative authorities of their political subdivisions have prescribed a fee for the issuance of a permit for a public fireworks exhibition, fire chiefs or fire prevention officers, and police chiefs, other similar chief law enforcement officers, or their designee, shall not issue a permit until the exhibitor pays the requisite fee.
Each exhibitor shall provide an indemnity bond in the amount of at least one million dollars, with surety satisfactory to the fire chief or fire prevention officer and to the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, conditioned for the payment of all final judgments that may be rendered against the exhibitor on account of injury, death, or loss to persons or property emanating from the fireworks exhibition, or proof of insurance coverage of at least one million dollars for liability arising from injury, death, or loss to persons or property emanating from the fireworks exhibition. The legislative authority of a political subdivision in which a public fireworks exhibition will take place may require the exhibitor to provide an indemnity bond or proof of insurance coverage in amounts greater than those required by this division. Fire chiefs or fire prevention officers, and police chiefs, other similar chief law enforcement officers, or their designee, shall not issue a permit until the exhibitor provides the bond or proof of the insurance coverage required by this division or by the political subdivision in which the fireworks exhibition will take place.
(E)(1) Each permit for a fireworks exhibition issued by a fire chief or fire prevention officer, and by the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, shall contain a distinct number, designate the municipal corporation, township, township fire or police district, or joint police district of the fire chief, fire prevention officer, police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or designee of the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, and identify the certified fire safety inspector, fire chief, or fire prevention officer who will be present before, during, and after the exhibition, where appropriate. A copy of each permit issued shall be forwarded by the fire chief or fire prevention officer, and by the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, or the designee of the police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, issuing it to the fire marshal, who shall keep a record of the permits received. A permit is not transferable or assignable.
(2) Each fire chief, fire prevention officer, police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, and designee of a police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer shall keep a record of issued permits for fireworks exhibitions. In this list, the fire chief, fire prevention officer, police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer, and designee of a police chief or other similar chief law enforcement officer shall list the name of the exhibitor, the exhibitor's license number, the premises on which the exhibition will be conducted, the date and time of the exhibition, and the number and political subdivision designation of the permit issued to the exhibitor for the exhibition.
(F) The governing authority having jurisdiction in the location where an exhibition is to take place shall require that a certified fire safety inspector, fire chief, or fire prevention officer be present before, during, and after the exhibition, and shall require the certified fire safety inspector, fire chief, or fire prevention officer to inspect the premises where the exhibition is to take place and determine whether the exhibition is in compliance with this chapter.
(G) Notwithstanding any provision of the Revised Code to the contrary, the state fire marshal is hereby authorized to create additional license categories for fireworks exhibitors and to create additional permit requirements for fireworks exhibitions for the indoor use of fireworks and other uses of pyrotechnics, including the use of pyrotechnic materials that do not meet the definition of fireworks as described in section 3743.01 of the Revised Code. Such licenses and permits and the fees for such licenses and permits shall be described in rules adopted by the fire marshal under Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. Such rules may provide for different standards for exhibitor licensure and the permitting and conducting of a fireworks exhibition than the requirements of this chapter.
The Legislative Service Commission presents the text of this section as a composite of the section as amended by multiple acts of the General Assembly. This presentation recognizes the principle stated in R.C. 1.52(B) that amendments are to be harmonized if reasonably capable of simultaneous operation.