Weekend airport fireworks spawn new rules for future events

Fireworks at the Carson City Airport Saturday surprised and alarmed a large number of area residents.

But City Manager Nick Marano said he’ll try to make sure it won’t happen again.

Airport Manager Tim Rowe actually applied for and got a event permit for the fireworks, which were part of a memorial event.

But Marano said there was no public notice because the event itself was a private funeral.

The former Harley-Davidson used to put on a similar fireworks display in connection with Hot August Nights but Marano said it always went through the special event process, which includes a public notice.

The airport simply applied to Fire Marshal Dave Ruben for a permit, a process that doesn’t include public notice or any announcements. The sheriff’s dispatch center was notified along with several key city agencies. Area residents weren’t warned.

“I forget how many 911 calls they got in the space of four minutes,” Ruben said. “People thought there was a firefight in progress.”

The newspaper also received a large number of calls from people wondering what was happening.

Marano said he will ensure in the future, notifying the public — particularly residents in the area where an event happens — becomes part of the permitting process.

“We’re going to make that loop closed, ensure that the public is notified,” he said. “We need to make it part of the special event process.”

The memorial service was for Ted Melsheimer. Melsheimer, who was known for his plane, B-25 Bomber “Tootsie,” was a long-time supporter of the Carson City Airport, founding the airport’s authority.