Re “Crest’s ‘Stop the Fireworks’ Protestors to Petition City Council”
Regarding Culver Crest and their issue with next Friday’s fireworks show at West Los Angeles College, below please see my email to Ron Ostrin, President of the Culver Crest Neighbors Assn.
Ron,
It was great speaking with you on Monday, and I hope that we are able to adequately address all of the concerns voiced in your email.
As you know, West Los Angeles College is part of the Los Angeles Community College District and under the jurisdictional protection of the County of Los Angeles. All permits are reviewed for this event by these two agencies.
Insofar as the permitting for the fireworks portion of the event, this review was conducted by the Office of the Los Angeles County Fire Marshal, which is a division of the Los Angeles County Fire Dept. The college, the Exchange Club and our fireworks vendor Pyro Spectaculars all worked closely with the County Fire Marshal during the entirety of this permitting process.
To issue this permit, the Fire Marshal imposed several conditions relative to site selection and firing procedures. Based on these conditions, a generous fall-out zone was established at the baseball field to minimize fire exposure to the surrounding area. In the unlikely event of a mishap, risk of fire is minimal. Additionally, the fixed trajectory of the shells is pointed away from the Crest also minimizing the risk of fire. This trajectory is away from the power lines, gas mains or oil fields whose involvement may endanger residents of the Crest.
Our fireworks vendor, Pyro Spectaculars, is one of the nation's oldest, most reputable fireworks companies. The Exchange Club has used this same company successfully at prior fireworks shows. Pyro Spectaculars has staged fireworks for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the Super Bowl, and the annual fireworks show from the Brooklyn Bridge over New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. The company also provides fireworks for several professional football teams including the Chargers, Raiders and 49ers. Pyro Spectaculars puts on the Fourth of July fireworks at the Rose Bowl, which is surrounded by an area considered to have a high fire hazard risk. For this and all other events, Pyro Spectaculars carries a standard $5 million insurance policy to cover the associated risks.
As is the case with any fireworks display, weather conditions are always a consideration. In the event that the Fire Marshal determines that the weather conditions pose an undue risk to either the Crest or any of the surrounding areas, the show will be postponed or suspended. Along with the vendor and the Fire Marshal, we, too, will be closely monitoring the weather conditions prior to the commencement of the sky display.
We understand your residents' concern about the impact parking may have upon the adjacent streets of the Crest. It is for this reason that we are working closely with the City of Culver City to restrict parking at the Crest to residents and their guests only. We cannot guarantee 100 percent exclusion of non-resident-related parking. However, we are certain that with the efforts of the city and CCPD, this issue will be more than adequately addressed.
Last year was the first time in 47 years that our Fourth of July Fireworks Show was cancelled. As I am certain you know, the show not only is a long standing Culver City community and family tradition, but is a significant fundraising tool through which the Exchange Club supports youth programs, including numerous college scholarships given annually to Culver High students. We are thrilled and very grateful that the hospitality of West Los Angeles College has allowed us to continue this wonderful tradition.
I hope my response has answered the questions raised by your residents and neighbors. Like us, we hope that all of you have a happy and safe Fourth of July. Enjoy the show – you've got a great seat!
Mr. Cohn, a longtime member of the sponsoring Exchange Club, may be contacted at john@thejungle.biz
