As a nurse practitioner at the Rochester VA Clinic, I would like to ask the residents of Rochester — and everywhere else — to be aware of the effects of randomly lighting fireworks in your neighborhoods.
Around the Fourth of July, many veterans suffer needlessly at the sound of fireworks going off. For those brave men and woman who fought for our freedom, this can trigger feelings of panic and anxiety. To some, it sounds like gunfire, improvised explosive devices exploding or rocket-propelled grenades going off.
They understand the celebration on the Fourth of July and expect the sounds on that day, but they are startled when they go off randomly for two weeks after the holiday!
Please consider this when lighting off your own personal fireworks in a residential area on dates other than July 4. Surely this is a sacrifice we can make for them.
Katie Collins
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Rochester
