FireOne looking forward to the Boxing Day sale

FireOne Fireworks managing director Andre Abraham - FILE PHOTO

AMID newly passed laws regulating the location and time of fireworks use, FireOne Fireworks is expecting an explosive Boxing Day sale. managing director Andre Abraham said FireOne is expecting a high turnout for its buy one get one free sale at the company’s Macoya warehouse.

But Abraham said the event is not only about driving revenue.

“We don’t do this just for sales. This is how we protect citizens and the market,” he told Newsday in an interview on December 23

“This Boxing Day sale is to wipe out any bad products…when we give away something of equal value, it makes it very undesirable to buy a product outside of the FireOne universe. And because we are so meticulous about our reputation…even though we operate our business within the law of TT, we self-regulate and implement National Fire Protection Association guidelines that govern the industry in America.”

He said all Fire One’s products are inspected by the American Fireworks Standards Laboratory (AFSL) to ensure public safety and reduce the number of injuries caused by explosives.

“It’s not like 30 years ago where you got a product that’s overloaded with no instructions…we're making it so attractive that you don’t even consider bamboo bursting or a scratch bomb. It’s even cheaper.”

Abraham called for those same regulations to be applied to the entire industry, both for the benefit of the company’s reputation and public safety.

He also reiterated the company’s positive views on recent amendments.

With an attached fine of $450 under the Summary Offences (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act No. 13 of 2025), it is now an offence to discharge fireworks without a permit issued by the Commissioner of Police, except on a public holiday between 8-9 pm and on December 31 from 11.30 pm to 12.30 am of the next day.

Fireworks use within a half-mile radius of public hospitals, private hospitals, nursing homes, homes for the elderly, airports, zoos, registered animal shelters, farms, forest reserves and national parks is also now an offence.

The application must specify the type, amount, location, date and time of fireworks discharged, and is only valid for the specified usage.

The fireworks permit application fee is $100 and cannot be issued to anyone under 18.

“We’ve been, through our marketing, social media and advertising, talking to our customers for the last 20 plus years, encouraging them to be respectful, courteous and our neighbours' keeper.”

“This law caters to the one per cent that may step out of line but the majority of our customers, the citizens of TT, are respectful, kind and considerate. All it takes is for one person to use the item at the wrong time and the wrong date and it creates so much discomfort.

“So this for us is a great thing that the government has done."