For people and animals

New Year’s Eve: simple rules for safe celebrations

The attack in Magdeburg is still fresh in the minds of the people of Styria. The turn of the year is not only under a special star in terms of terror, the basics of safe fireworks should also be observed.

"There is no such thing as one hundred percent safety," says police spokesman Heimo Kohlbacher, referring to the latent threat of terrorism, which was once again brought to mind by the terrible events in Magdeburg shortly before Christmas. However, the Ministry of the Interior considers the local party hotspots to be "well protected" in principle.

"Robust room protection"
In Styria, police officers were once again made aware of the situation over the festive period and the tried-and-tested measures are in place, many of which are not even visible to the public - such as foot patrols and plainclothes officers. Bollards and concrete blocks were set up around the Christmas markets weeks ago, in addition to the "robust area protection": heavily armed police officers who are always on standby near crowds of people.

Spokesman Heimo Kohlbacher explains the protective measures taken by the Styrian police on New Year's Eve.

(Bild: Pail Sepp)

Jokes allowed everywhere from the age of twelve
The situation is different when it comes to fireworks, where personal responsibility is required first and foremost. The rules are quickly explained and have not changed compared to previous years: Jokes such as sparklers and flares, firecrackers, firecrackers, table fireworks or mini firecrackers (category F1) are generally permitted from the age of twelve. Anything above this is not allowed in the local area or in the immediate vicinity of large gatherings of people.

F2 to F4 prohibited in urban areas
This includes firecracker classes F2 to F4. The products covered range from volcanoes and flares (category F2, generally permitted from the age of 16, except in the local area) to "medium fireworks" such as so-called suns (permitted from the age of 18 with a pyrotechnics permit) and large fireworks, such as the infamous ball bombs. Mayors can issue an exemption for their municipality, but this has hardly been used in recent years and, according to the latest information, this is unlikely to be the case anywhere in Styria this year either.

There is a complete ban on all pyrotechnic items in the vicinity of high-risk locations such as petrol stations. The use of pyrotechnics and purely acoustic firecrackers is also prohibited in the vicinity of churches, hospitals, children's homes, retirement homes and convalescent homes as well as animal shelters and gardens. Last but not least, fireworks of categories F2 to F4 are prohibited in enclosed spaces, as common sense should dictate.

This VW van full of firecrackers was recently taken out of circulation by the police on the Upper Austrian-Czech border.

(Bild: LPD OOE Michael Dietrich)

Threat of "severe penalties"
Despite all the preventative measures, the Styrian police expect "to be dealing with the unauthorized use of pyrotechnics again this year". It will not be possible to completely monitor the regulations, but those who disregard the rules will still face "severe" penalties. Last but not least, the police are appealing for fireworks to only be purchased from certified Austrian retailers.

Lauteste Nacht des Jahres

Tierwelt braucht Ruhe und Respekt

Every year, the turn of the year is a particularly stressful time for animals. Styrian animal welfare ombudswoman Karoline Schlögl appeals for respect and empathy.

The be-all and end-all: pets should never be left alone, but should be given peace and closeness. If you know from experience that your pet reacts sensitively to noise and flashes of light, you should create a cozy retreat for it, for example a room that is familiar to the animal and as darkened as possible. The same applies to feeding and sleeping areas and litter trays, which should not be near a window. Sometimes it can help to turn up the radio or television at a low volume. If you have to go outside, you should always walk your cat on a lead.

The Styrian animal welfare ombudswoman Karoline Schlögl

(Bild: Pail Sepp/Sepp Pail)

While the situation at home can be kept under control with simple measures, this is not so easy with wild animals. Here, rockets and firecrackers can cause such a panic that the last reserves of energy are used for escape behavior. In extreme cases, this can lead to death by exhaustion. "Animal lovers should be aware that a quiet turn of the year is preferable to a loud roar," says Ombudswoman Schlögl.