HSHS hospitals encourage fireworks safety across Northeast Wisconsin communities

Northeast Wisconsin – On average, 180 people go to the emergency room daily with fireworks-related injuries in the month around the Fourth of July holiday, as reported by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Most injuries from fireworks occur to the hands or fingers, legs, face and eyes.

To ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday, emergency medicine experts at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay, HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan, and HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls say you should leave fireworks use to those specially trained and certified. If you do decide to use fireworks, they encourage you to follow these important safety tips from the CPSC: 

10 fireworks safety recommendations

1. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them. 
2. Always read and follow label instructions.
3. Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees, which is 20 times the boiling point of water. As a safe alternative to sparklers, use glow sticks.
4. Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from houses, dry leaves and flammable materials.
5. Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
6. Never place any part of your body directly over a firework when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting a firework (only light one at a time) and wear eye protection.
7. Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them from metal or glass containers.
8. Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
9. Soak all spent fireworks in a bucket of water before throwing them in the trash can. Never discard fireworks, including used ones, in a fire pit.
10. Avoid buying fireworks packaged in brown paper. This is often a sign they were made for professional use only.

If you or someone you know is injured and in need of emergency care, call 911 or visit your nearest emergency room immediately. HSHS hospitals are prepared to deliver high-quality emergency medical care 24/7.

HSHS hospital emergency department locations in Eastern Wisconsin:

HSHS St. Vincent Hospital

835 S. Van Buren St., Green Bay

HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center

1726 Shawano Ave., Green Bay

HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital

3100 Superior Ave., Sheboygan

HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital

855 S. Main St., Oconto Falls

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About HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center

HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center have been delivering quality health care to Green Bay and its surrounding communities since 1888. With HSHS St. Vincent being the largest tertiary care hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s location on Green Bay’s west side, patients from Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan benefit from a comprehensive range of services that include cancer care, women’s services, emergency and trauma care, preventive care across the lifespan, digestive health, orthopedic, cardiac care, neurosciences, rehabilitation and pediatrics. Affiliates of Hospital Sisters Health System, the hospitals primary purpose is to continue Christ’s healing love through the delivery of competent and compassionate health care in an environment sensitive to the needs of all people. Both hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

About HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital

HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital has been delivering high quality health care to Sheboygan and its surrounding communities since 1890. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital provides a comprehensive range of services that include cancer care, women’s services, 24-hour emergency care, digestive health, orthopedics, cardiac, home health and hospice care. The hospital’s primary purpose is to continue Christ’s healing love through the delivery of high quality and compassionate health care in an environment sensitive to the needs of all people. HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.  An affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System, we draw on the history of St. Francis of Assisi as we move to continue serving the health care needs of our area in Christ’s healing ministry, caring for all people. To learn more, visit www.stnicholashospital.org.

About HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital
HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital serves Oconto Falls and the surrounding communities as a federally designated critical access hospital with a 24-hour emergency department; inpatient and outpatient surgical and diagnostic services; cancer care; therapy and rehabilitation; wound care; the Almost Home Swing Bed program; and more. It was founded as Oconto Falls City Hospital in 1921 and became HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in 2014 when it joined Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS). As an affiliate of HSHS, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital draws on the history of St. Francis of Assisi as it serves the health care needs of the region in Christ’s healing ministry, caring for all people. HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital also has five rural health center locations in affiliation with Prevea Health in Gillett, Lena, Mountain, Oconto Falls and Suring; and operates HSHS Pharmacies in Gillett and Oconto Falls, and HSHS Prescription Services (remote dispensing sites) in Lena, Mountain and Pulaski. In 2022, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital was named a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the U.S. by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. For more information about St. Clare, please visit: www.stclarememorial.org.

About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our physician practices and 15 local hospitals in two states - Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries,  and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.