Miami-Dade officials want you to put away your sparklers and black snakes and leave the New Years fireworks celebrations to professionals.
The Fire Rescue Department will be conducting inspection sweeps throughout the county, checking for illegal fireworks and making sure sellers are certified.
"We recommend that residents of Miami-Dade County go and see a professional show," said Fire Marshall Manuel Mena, in a statement from the MDFR. "Even a sparkler that looks harmless can be a hazard if used improperly."
And, like a worried mother, MDFR will be lecturing folks on the dangers of using illegal 'works in backyard shows.
According to the release, over 10,000 fireworks-related injuries are treated at hospitals nationwide, with kids under 15 years of age making up 42 percent of those injuries.
The seemingly harmless novelty fireworks, which inclues sparklers and fountains, can actually be quite dangerous, accounting for 36 percent of fireworks-related emergency room trips in 2007.
