Fireworks a bust or someone hurt?

[TurismoDreamin]

We were there. Here is video from my girlfriend's camera:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoSthLs2CX8


July 4th this year seemed very mundane. I drove by fireworks stands many times per day and usually saw 2-3 cars there if I was lucky. The hype that usually comes with the fireworks show wasn't there this year.

The show was disappointing from the beginning. We heard no announcement of the show starting early at Riverwest Festival Park (where the sound stage was). We had to rush to our spot to see the early fireworks and didn't get to enjoy at least 4-5 minutes of the beginning...and then this happened. We sat there for a good 30+ minutes and no announcement was made neither from the Riverwest side nor the east end of the 21st street bridge at that sound stage. We were listening to the police scanners on my iPhone after it happened and they said they were no longer shooting fireworks, and it was only then that it was made clear no more fireworks would be shot off. People just kinda started leaving though right after the fireworks stopped. Everyone was upset. There were people there many hours prior to the fireworks only to be given half of their show.

We are Tulsa and can do so much better than this. ONEOK was basically the only sponsor for the city's event which explains the lack of hype. And from what I heard, our fireworks show went to the first bidder. Whoever has done the previous fireworks shows for Tulsa needs to be the exclusive provider. I've enjoyed their shows each year for the past several years.

I too hope they save the money that they are not spending on this years show as a result and spend it on making next years show better.

I would also like to add that although the show started 30 minutes early at 9PM to avoid the storms, we stayed in the area of Riverwest until about 10:30 PM. At about 11:10 PM was when it started sprinkling at the Braum's on 71st between Memorial and Sheridan. There was no need to start the show early.

[nathanm]

I would also like to add that although the show started 30 minutes early at 9PM to avoid the storms, we stayed in the area of Riverwest until about 10:30 PM. At about 11:10 PM was when it started sprinkling at the Braum's on 71st between Memorial and Sheridan. There was no need to start the show early.

There was a lot of lightning visible to the north by 9:30.

The major danger is lightning, not rain. Think about it. Lightning hits the trailer and blammo, the whole thing goes up at once, it doesn't just catch on fire. Lightning pretty regularly strikes far from the parent storm, so I think it was a good call to start early.

[Hoss]

There was a lot of lightning visible to the north by 9:30.

The major danger is lightning, not rain. Think about it. Lightning hits the trailer and blammo, the whole thing goes up at once, it doesn't just catch on fire. Lightning pretty regularly strikes far from the parent storm, so I think it was a good call to start early.

Exactly.  Lightning can precede a strong storm in some cases by up to two hours before the storm reaches you.  That's why at the first visible lightning strike, golf courses close down.  And then you add sending an aerial mortar as essentially a lightning rod, and you have trouble.

[tim huntzinger]

Clearly there was no emergency evacuation plan and the planners were absolutely caught with their pants down.  They start the show early because they are afraid a possible lightning strike will cause the explosives to go haywire, but a fire actually starts and they just let everyone hang around the blast area? Really?

The show started early because of wind, is my guess.  Remember the Oktoberfest disaster?

Heaven help us if there is an emergency during any of our other events.  The organizers would be the first ones out.

[sgrizzle]

Turismo got better video. sorry KN.

[tim huntzinger]

Turismo got better video. sorry KN.

Absolutely, no doubt!  My goal was to try to get under the really big ones, to the point where some of the shoots would go overhead so I had a really really tight shot.  By the time T's video ends we were already packed up and leaving.  I tried to let as many people know on the way out that the show was over, and a few listened but most sat there all glazed eyed, maybe it sunk in after five, ten minutes.

That whole thing was shoddy.  It may have been my last year for the river on the 4th.

[waterboy]

I had a sense of foreboding. I have jogged along the west bank for the last decade and watched the preparation for the fireworks shows on the West end of the bridge. They usually start a couple of weeks early, have the area secured and several flatbeds of fireworks. As of 4 days early, there were no preparations in that area. Seriously, I thought they would pass this year. Finally some people in rented cargo trucks and RV's showed up and I saw two flatbeds. Perhaps taking this bidder was a result of the last minute funding as I assume the others were probably booked. It also was about half the money that is usually spent when the Tulsa World and other sponsors funded it. What $45000? I remember as much as $150,000 being spent. You get what you pay for. So, I stayed in the front yard to watch while the family and friends made the annual trek to Veterans Park.

Here to me is the bottom line. This was a rush deal and the River Parks Authority botched the whole process. Its amazing to me they are getting a free pass from responsibility. Lucky for them the thing blew up and they get most of the money back. Truth is, it never should have been put on this year. These are tough economic times and I think people would have understood that it couldn't be done this year but would return next year. Its not as though it is a revenue generator for the RPA. Or is it? The only people coming out ahead on this are the security, concessions, fire department, police dept and such. RPA gets a cut of concessions and who knows what else.

I think they screwed up and are blaming the fireworks contractor for what was a doomed project. Heckuva job Brownie.

[Michael71]

From what I understand, the change in start time was a last minute decision to get it done before a possible thunderstorm came through.

Today's TV reports say that River Parks will not pay for the portion of the program that was cancelled, and the pyrotechnics company has been cooperative so far.  So maybe the money can be banked and saved for next year.  I understand how many were disappointed, but sh*t happens.

Well said!!

[Conan71]

This morning's World quotes Matt Meyer as saying the total budget was $100K, $45K was for the fireworks and they are trying to retrieve their deposit from the fireworks company.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090706_11_A4_Firewo93877&archive=yes

[tim huntzinger]

I mean, how long was it between the blast and the decision to dismiss the crowd?  Were the respective Executive Directors of the respective entities - TPD, TFD, RPA, COT et al on site? Was there an earlier miscue say about five mins in? How many people were in danger from a mega-shell going off in their midst? Not only did the television stations not have a reporter and crew on the ground in the single biggest event that day in the City, but they regurgitated spoon-fed disinformation.

[m_talon]

Long time listener, first time poster, etc. so on (Hi sgrizzle, it's Jason).

We didn't go down to the river this year.  My 4 year old didn't like the loud noise last year, so she asked to stay home.  Looks like we made the right choice.

Anyway, I'm just grateful no one got hurt.  It could have been a lot worse...

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/pennsylvania/20090706_ap_officialsidteenkilledinpafireworksaccident.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/05/AR2009070502701.html

[waterboy]

This morning's World quotes Matt Meyer as saying the total budget was $100K, $45K was for the fireworks and they are trying to retrieve their deposit from the fireworks company.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090706_11_A4_Firewo93877&archive=yes

It's interesting that the cost for services to produce the show exceeded the cost of the fireworks themselves. That is probably why they didn't cancel it altogether. The cops, firefighters, security all got a little extra pay. The RPA and COT got some tax/concession money and the public got screwed. Bad PR for RPA too.

[Michael71]

Why would they use a Missouri-based company?  Seems odd that OK doesn't have a number of companies that could do the job.

[waterboy]

I don't think there were many left who had time available once they got funds for the program. As late as two weeks ago they got the last donations from some local attorneys. Kind of late to get first tier guys by that time.

[Noodlez]

I am not 100% on it, but doesn't A&M pyrotechnics do the fireworks for the Drillers? I thought on of the local new stations mentioned this before the event.