KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
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Kansas City, Kansas, fireworks stands officially opened Sunday morning, a rainy day that still saw several families eager to shop ahead of the Fourth of July.
One of those customers was 9-year-old Omar Carrasco.
“This year, I’m looking for one that shoots to the sky and it’s super bright,” Omar said.
So he ended up back at Dotte Fireworks.
“I chose this fireworks store because we have come here for years already to buy fireworks,” he said. “Since then, I liked it. And it’s the closest to my house, so that’s why I come here every year.”
Omar wasn’t alone. He came this year with his dad.
“My favorite part is the kids,” said Gail Vertz, co-owner of Dotte Fireworks.
Vertz has run the stand with her husband for the past five years.
They’ve been in the fireworks business for the past 20 years and have both lived in Wyandotte County for over 45 years.
“We’re proud to be part of the Dotte, and that’s why our company’s called Dotte Fireworks,” Vertz said.
Beyond the tent’s name, which she says is the largest tent in KCK, Vertz wants people to notice other labels, like price tags.
“We do want to be able to help grandparents and people that are on a budget,” Vertz said.
Vertz has been intentional about having affordable items for all age groups and income levels, even with tariffs on Chinese-imported goods impacting the prices of some of her products.
“On some of the prices that we had to get from vendors that didn’t have it in stock already, the prices were quite a bit higher, so we had to look at the formula we used to price our products and adjust it because I could not pass on those high prices to our customers,” Vertz said.
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She does, however, have safety tips she’s happy to pass along.
“Safety is so important,” Vertz said. “Try to have an adult around at all times. Don’t try to light things with a cigarette lighter; get a punk. Follow the instructions on the fireworks. If it shows where to light it and how to light it, follow those instructions.”
Vertz also recommends keeping a bucket of water nearby to put sparklers and other hot items in.
“Water will usually mitigate any of that gunpowder,” KCKFD Assistant Chief Bryan said at a press conference Friday, where the department shared its own set of safety tips and gave a safety demonstration.
KCKFD is investigating a fireworks incident from last Sunday that injured one 12-year-old and one 13-year-old.
As of Friday, Hendin said their conditions are stable.
"We had some children in our community that were hurt very badly last week," Vertz said. "Everything that we sell is approved. It’s been tested, and that’s the only kind of fireworks we will sell, is stuff that is safe for families."
KSHB 41 reached out to KCKFD for an update but has not heard back.
“The problem with that device that they had is gone because it exploded, so we have no way of knowing what it was,” Hendin said Friday.
Hendin said KCKFD usually averages 10-12 severe fireworks-related calls each year.
By Friday, there had already been three.
Hendin also encouraged people not to modify any commercially sold products and not to shoot toward other people, objects or buildings.
There are 31 stands in KCK this year instead of 32, per Hendin.
Stands are allowed to operate from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Sunday until Friday, July 4.
People cannot shoot fireworks until July 2.
Bottle rockets, sky rockets and missile-type rockets are banned in KCK, regardless of where you buy them.
Click here for a full list of safety tips and regulations from KCKFD.
KSHB's Lily O'Shea Becker spoke with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District about safety tips Thursday.
“If you’re parents, you definitely need to make sure you’re watching your kids,” Hendin said.
Vertz’s last piece of advice: “We always tell people to drink lots of water, stay hydrated.”
Hydration wasn’t a problem on Sunday's rainy afternoon.
After all, a little rain wasn’t enough to stop the most loyal customers.
“One thing about this rain, when it rains so much, it doesn’t last long,” Vertz said.
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