Health Care District of Palm Beach County Shares Fireworks Injury Data and Precautions Ahead of the July Fourth Holiday
Contact: Robin Kish, Director of Communications July 1, 2024
561.804.5828 – [email protected]
West Palm Beach, FL – As we approach the July Fourth holiday, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County’s Trauma Agency is sharing data on traumatic injuries caused by fireworks and offering tips to prevent these injuries. Over the past year (June 2023 – May 2024), 11 Palm Beach County residents or visitors were treated for traumatic injuries related to fireworks, including five children aged 12-17. Approximately 60 percent of these critical injuries occurred during last year’s July Fourth festivities. About 40 percent occurred during New Year’s Eve.
These statistics encompass all patients treated at the county’s two Level 1 trauma centers, Delray Medical Center and St. Mary’s Medical Center, who met trauma alert criteria requiring they receive highly specialized, time-sensitive care.
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Common injuries from fireworks include:
• Burns, particularly affecting the hands, fingers and face
• Eye injuries, such as contusions, lacerations and foreign bodies in the eye
• Hand injuries, which can include lacerations, fractures and even amputations
• Hearing damage from loud explosions, which can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss
• Injuries from fireworks that explode unexpectedly or go in the wrong direction
• Smoke inhalation, which can cause respiratory issues
“Fireworks are a festive July Fourth tradition that can pose significant health risks if not handled properly,” Belma Andric, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for the Health Care District of Palm Beach County. “It’s crucial to handle fireworks with caution and follow all safety guidelines to protect yourself and your loved ones from potential harm.”
The Health Care District’s Trauma Agency encourages residents to play it safe and leave fireworks to the professionals by attending public fireworks displays. To prevent fireworks injuries, adults should maintain a safe distance, closely supervise children, use protective gear, ignite only one firework at a time, soak spent fireworks before disposal, and refrain from relighting fireworks that malfunction.
“Prevention is key to avoiding traumatic injuries,” said Joel Rosales, RN, the Health Care District’s Trauma Agency Nurse Manager. “By following safety protocols, we can significantly reduce the risk of firework-related injuries and ensure that celebrations remain safe and enjoyable for everyone.”
For more information on the Health Care District’s Trauma Agency and interventions to help prevent traumatic injury, visit www.hcdpbc.org/for-patients/trauma-system/education-and-prevention.
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About the Health Care District
The Health Care District of Palm Beach County is a special taxpayer-funded district that has served as a healthcare safety net for 36 years to fill in gaps in access to healthcare services. This unique healthcare system covers the entire county and provides diverse services such as 13 community health centers (Federally Qualified Health Centers) which serve everyone regardless of ability to pay; school health nurses and CNAs staffed in nearly 170 public schools; two Trauma Hawk aeromedical helicopters; a rural, public teaching hospital, Lakeside Medical Center; a skilled nursing center; a ground ambulance program for Health Care District patients needing a higher level of care; a specialty benefits program for eligible, uninsured residents; and quality performance oversight of the county’s lifesaving trauma system.
bout the Community Health Centers
The Health Care District’s 10 Federally Qualified Health Centers across the county serve adults and children with or without insurance and regardless of ability to pay. The Health Care District also operates three mobile clinics that provide medical services for the homeless and the underserved. In 2023, the health centers served 41,000 unique adult and pediatric patients who received high-quality, comprehensive health services. This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number H80CS25684 for Health Center Cluster in the award amount of $7,278,563. Of the total project, 86.4% is financed with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. The C. L. Brumback Primary Care Clinics were granted Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) deeming status effective January 1, 2024.
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