Flares and Fireworks What's The Law?

Re: Too Risky

Appart from the obvious if you live near the coast, (being mistaken for a distress).
Don't do it, a friend of mine let off a parachute flare a couple of years ago, and it was still burning when it landed on a neighbours shed roof and set fire to it. Obviously not a problem if still burning when it lands in the sea.

<hr width=100% size=1>Brian
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/brunyard<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by brianrunyard on 04/11/2004 12:20 (server time).</FONT></P>
 
Re: Flares and Fireworks What\'s The Law?

> foolhardy to rely upon them in an emergency

Of course it would be foolhardy to rely upon them in an emergency, but why not keep them as spares. If the new ones do not go off, or more than expected are needed, you have some extra flares that may work

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Re: Flares and Fireworks What\'s The Law?

<<pulled from his boat and spent the entire festive season locked up!>>

Yeah yeah....we're not all daft on scuttlebut you know!

"Pulled from his boat.......locked up"
Who do you think you're talking to......... children?


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Re: Flares and Fireworks What\'s The Law?

Whites flares are fine, red flares are distress flares! I'm a coastguard and have been on many false-alarm shouts looking for twerps setting off old red flares. If they are seen they are always assumed to be serious! PLEASE don't it.
Look at it this way. You wouldn't make a hoax 999 call, would you. This is just the same.

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Re: supplementy question

You could ask your local chandler if he would take them back especially if your buying replacements from him, failing that your local CG station should take them.
I reckon that 3 sets is about right i.e. in date, immedidately past and immediadely past past after that think about ditching the last set everytime you buy new.
Peter.

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Come off it

Frankly I fail to see the difference between a red handheld and a red roman candle if both are fired off in an urban garden. I wasn't suggesting we take them down to the beach.

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Re:TOO LATE!

Got rid of the last of my OoD flares last night - No roofs on fire, no calls to the coast guard - I am miles from the nearest sea/inland water.

Geez those flares sure are bright though and the reds were more like pinks.

Now all I got to do is figure out how to let off the parachute flares and smoke bombs without pi$$ing anyone off...........

I know - organise a "bring and try" night down in the harbour then get clearance from HMCG for 5 ~ 15 minutes of mayhem in the vicinity of the harbour.

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Re: Git

I am generally fairly easy going, but can't stand moronic irresponsible behavior, taking the rescue services away from a real emergency.

I also do not like intolerant people using abusive language, verbal or written, even if only as a title to a Forum response. Good manners costs nothing.

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Re: Git

You responded to somebody asking whether he could let off flares on November 5th by saying that you hoped he'd get caught and punished.

I respond with a quote. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

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Re:TOO LATE!

You are unlikely to get clearance from HMCG for an impromptu demo. They stopped giving that years ago. You were lucky to get away with letting them off even tho' you were miles inland. It only takes one person to report you and you are done for.
The current situation is that discharging distress flares/orange smoke for any other purpose than summoning 'immediate assistance' is illegal. Red flares are used by climbers/walkers at al who get into trouble and I believe some aircraft have them in case they crash land in some out of the way place.

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Re:TOO LATE!

Granted, but I don't see the difference between red roman candles and red hand flares apart from the brightness.

I think I'll still have a wee chat with the local CG and RNLI - "if you don't ask, you don't get"

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Re: Flares and Fireworks What\'s The Law?

Thankyou everyone, good advice no doubt, but please let's get something straight. I would never dream of letting off a flare on land, my question was more hypothetical and if I ever did use a flare it would only ever be strictly for the purpose for which it was intended.

However, I wonder if we can spin a few ideas here? Some points which I have noted. Flares are supposed to be part of every, saftey at sea kit, but what is the point if one does not know how to use them in an emergency? I believe practice does make perfect and for all who venture out, without any experience of having let off any flares, I have an idea. With great respect to the RNLI I hope you are listening!

Flares, in all there shapes and sizes are not cheap. What about YBW RNLI supporting (or running) a 'flares-returns programme', where, with a percentage discount taken against the new flare supplied, old ones (not used) are returned to a central point or supplier? The old ones, instead of being discarded or destroyed (and there would be thousands) could be used for training puposes.....so every sailor everywhere can at least 'have a try' before a real emergency arrives. And the price of flares should come down. This has to be a win win situation surely?

It reminds me of fire extinguishers on land or water. Not many people could operate one of these units either, but on land there is a far netter chance of escape. At sea, minutes and seconds count perhaps a little more. Perhaps learning how to use a flare should be compulsory if you wish to gain some form of sea-certification?

In my time I have seen many people go on training courses but when 20 people all want to try a flare and there is only 5 available to let off, the hands-on experience dies a death and the training could have been read from a book. That is useless.
Mike



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Re: Flares and Fireworks What\'s The Law?

Lovely idea - the RYA used to have a team of flare demonstrators around the country funded by Pains Wessex who supplied brand new flares for the purpose to each one of us. We attended an updating course at Old Sarum annually and had a great day out. In the early days we would ask clubs etc to organise a demo and get members to bring along their o.o.d. flares which they could let off under control. There was no charge for demos, although we did take a collection on behalf of Sailing for the Disabled (now called Sailability). For one reason or another the RYA handed the demos over to the RNLI who have Sea Safety people stationed around the country and who, I believe, will give a demo so long as you can get enough people to attend and make it worthwhile. They will not allow o.o.d flares though, something to do with risk assessments and insurance etc.
Have you seen the video 'A Flare for Safety'?

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