There is a good chance you have already heard people setting off fireworks and firecrackers, even though we’re still a few days away from the Fourth of July.
Iowa law states fireworks are only to be set off from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. on July 3rd and 4th, but people have already begun to spark their sparklers.
For people and their pets who don’t like the sound of explosions this time of the year, it can be especially traumatic.
Jordan Schneider first moved to Davenport in 2007. She said fireworks have been an issue in her neighborhood since she arrived in the QCA.
“My husband was a decorated ex-Marine and the very first summer we moved here, the smoke from the fireworks was so bad you couldn’t see the street from one side to the other,” she said recently.
This year, Schneider says the fireworks in her neighborhood started about two weeks ago. She says some neighbors went so far as to light fireworks at her car and in her backyard.
“I want people to have freedom to enjoy fireworks, but not next to my house,” said Schneider.
Jordan says since the fireworks season has returned this year, both she and her service dog “H.B” have been traumatized by the fireworks.
Local mental health experts over at Vera French in Davenport suggested a few solutions to cope with the firework scaries.
“The thing that’s so troubling about fireworks and loud noises is, they are startling, they’re unexpected and they’re something that is a triggering event,” said Vera French CEO Richard K. Whitaker.
To better deal with the sound and vibrations of fireworks, Whitaker suggested earplugs and weighted blankets to help calm the nerves of both people and pets.
“Avoid setting off firecrackers and other fireworks just to startle someone. Because you don’t know if that person is actually struggling from a panic or anxiety-related disorder that could be trigged by that event,” said Whitaker.