The Ocean City Fire Department would like to remind the visitors and citizens of the Town of Ocean City of the danger involved with consumer fireworks as the July 4th holiday approaches. Although the State of Maryland has approved the use of ground-based sparkling devices such as cylindrical and cone fountains, these are not legal to use or possess in Ocean City. All other fireworks that may be sold in neighboring states are not legal for use by the general public anywhere in Maryland. Within the Town of Ocean City, products such as handheld Gold labeled sparklers, "Snap-N-Pops", "Black Cobra Snakes", and "Party Poppers" are allowed to be used and possessed without a license. However, injuries and property damage may still occur from these types of products, so parental supervision is always encouraged. Who is at Most Risk? In 2010, U.S. hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 8,600 people for fireworks-related injuries. 73 percent of these injuries occurred between June 18 - July 18. Of these: -65 percent were to males and 35 percent were to females. -Children under 15 years old accounted for 40 percent of the estimated injuries. -Children and young adults under 20 years old had 53 percent of the estimated injuries. -An estimated 900 injuries were associated with firecrackers. Of these, an estimated 30 percent were associated with small firecrackers, 17 percent with illegal firecrackers, and 53 percent where the type of firecracker was not specified. Please be safe!!