Folks will definitely know when Elvis leaves the building this football season after the T.R. Miller halftime show after band boosters were granted tentative approval for firework finales Monday.
Margo Adams, who approached the council on behalf of the T.R. Miller band boosters, said fireworks at a band show is not new. She said the band has approached Superintendent Lynn Smith and Fire Chief Jeff Salter.
“When we have shot fireworks before, the field where the new practice field and the new track was not there,” Adams said. “That is where it was shot from. We have one shell we want to shoot and it is a class C shell, which you can buy yourself. It is not one that is a professional has to shoot. It will go eight feet up and has to go above the scoreboard. We want to shoot it every home game and at the Dixieland Festival.”
Adams said the fireworks would be launched from the long jump pit in a specially-constructed box with appropriate supervision and safety precautions in place.
“We did ask if we could have a trial run the Thursday night before, and we were told to come before y’all because it would be a council matter. If Chief Salter says it is too dry to shoot it, we won’t shoot it. It will add so much to the show.”
Mayor Yank Lovelace said he had no problem with the practice, as long as the fire department was consulted.
“(Band boosters) called me last week, and I talked to the fire marshal (Monday),” Salter said. “Even though it is a class C firework, whether you shoot one or 20, it has to be a 600-feet radius from any building and fans in the stadium and a roadway. It is depending on what they are wanting to shoot off. The size of the shell determines the radius. We will just have to see what kind of firework they will use.”
The council then approved the request subject to Salter’s approval from state fire marshal.