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Available Data The Consumer Products Safety Commission Injury and Death database can offer examples of previous deaths and destruction that fireworks have caused. From 1990 through 2001, at least 60 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries have involved pyrotechnics. Find the details to these events using the CPSC deaths, injury or potential injury, and in-depth investigation tables. Read below for examples taken from a memo field within the deaths table: June 1993: "EXPLOSION DURING PREPARATION OF FIREWORKS - MULTIPLETRAUMATIC INJURIES - AUTOPSY YES" For more information about this database, including record layouts and sample data, go to http://www.ire.org/datalibrary/databases/viewdatabase.php?dbaseindex=41 To order a database, contact the data library at 573-884-7711 or simply download an order form at www.ire.org/datalibrary/orderform/. Stories The IRE Resource Center offers stories already published or broadcast, and tipsheets designed to assist journalists. You can search the story database to find these examples and more: Story No. 12551 An investigation by WFLD-TV finds that large concert venues and smaller nightclubs are filled with fire hazards and crowding problems that could lead to disaster in case of a fire or other emergency. WFLD found padlocked exit doors and exitways blocked with furniture. Story Year: 1995 Story No. 8478 The Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.) reports on the Lakeland Civic Center, the local rock concert arena which is offering "general admission" or "festival seating" to compete with facilities in nearby Tampa/St. Petersburg and Orlando; finds that the center has been allowing 1,000 to 2,000 more people in the arena than it should, and is ignoring basic safety standards. Story Year: 1991 Story No. 17544 WFLD-TV (Chicago) reported that college campus student housing throughout Illinois has many fire hazards and fire code violations that could result in deadly fires. Story Year: 2000 Story No. 13102 San Francisco Chronicle reports the San Francisco Fire Department failed to inspect thousands of apartment buildings and hotels and its program to force owners to correct serious fire code violations in buildings it did inspect is virtually nonexistent. Story Year: 1996 Story No. 13001 The Patriot-News finds that the Pennsylvania state Capitol Building is the state's most vulnerable building. The investigation revealed several state and local fire code violations in the Capitol-its condition is so bad that documents show the state Department of Labor and Industry recommended the building be closed until upgrade were made. Story Year: 1996 Story No. 8378 WCAV-TV (Philadelphia) reports that serious fire code violations were found in the offices of Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections, the agency whose job it is to enforce the fire code; violations were found at city hall, as well. Story Year: 1991 Story No. 6291 San Francisco Bay Guardian gives an account of the history and present status of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency; finds the agency is plagued with cost overruns and building and fire code violations; also finds the agency lacks a strategy for its future. Story Year: 1989 Story No. 5440 Bay City Times runs series on serious shortcomings in the city's fire code enforcement and fire inspections; finds most buildings don't get regular inspections, largest businesses and manufacturers rarely get reviewed, erratic record keeping. Story Year: 1987 Story No. 3534 WOTV-TV (Grand Rapids) runs five-part series on state inspectors not doing their jobs; finds inspectors don't inspect schools for fire safety and tolerate fire code violations in adult foster homes; also reveals the local federal government office building ignores fire safety standards. Story Year: 1986 Story No. 2810 Hartford Courant investigation finds Connecticut's fire protection system deeply flawed: inspections never take place, fire code is rarely enforced, fire marshals cannot meet requirements of state fire law. Story Year: 1985 Story No. 2811 New Haven (Conn.) Register issues reprint on fire code violations that contributed to a devastating apartment fire in East Haven, the inability of East Haven to inspect buildings and a fire inspector who doesn't do much inspecting. Story Year: 1985 Uplink and The IRE Journal Another resource is the searchable Indexes of The IRE Journal and Uplink. Back issues of The IRE Journal and Uplink may be purchased for $10 each. There is an additional $10 user fee for nonmembers. Check with the Resource Center at 573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org for availability.
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