The city of Bonn expects that many people will want to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks from the Kennedy Bridge again this year. For safety reasons, the bridge is therefore expected to be closed to traffic between 11:30 pm and 2 am on New Year's Eve.
Buses, trains and emergency vehicles from the fire and rescue services can cross the bridge. They use the streetcar track area for this purpose. The city therefore urgently requests that this area be kept clear as a traffic route and not used for launching New Year's Eve rockets or firework batteries. Depending on the situation on site, the police, fire department and public order office will decide when the bridge can be reopened.
On the left bank of the Rhine, access to the bridge will be prohibited from the Berliner Freiheit/Belderberg/Sandkaule intersection. On the right bank of the Rhine, access will no longer be possible from Konrad-Adenauer-Platz at Hermannstraße and from Professor-Neu-Allee/Combahnstraße.
Overall, the security authorities are planning a high presence throughout the city on New Year's Eve. The city is in close contact with the police in this regard.
No fireworks in nature reserves
The setting off of fireworks in nature reserves is strictly prohibited. The protection of wild animals and plants and their habitats has the highest priority here. The Flora-Fauna-Habitat (FFH) areas designated by the EU are under particularly strict protection. In Bonn, the Ennert, the Siegmündung, the Kottenforst and the Rodderberg are under special protection as nature conservation areas of European importance.
For wild animals in particular, the noise from firecrackers and the bright light from New Year's Eve rockets cause enormous stress. “Setting off fireworks also inevitably produces waste, which has no place in our highly valuable nature conservation areas,” explains David Baier, Head of the Office for the Environment and Urban Greenery.
Even if the landscape plans do not contain an explicit ban, the Federal Nature Conservation Act and the Habitats Directive contain a whole series of rules that indirectly prohibit fireworks: For example, it is expressly forbidden to deliberately disturb protected animals or damage their habitats. Marked paths may not be left in nature reserves and lighting fires and leaving garbage behind are also administrative offenses. Further information on rules in nature reserves can be found at www.bonn.de/naturschutzgebiete.
To protect people and nature: responsible use of fireworks
There will not be a general “firecracker ban” in Bonn this year either. From a legal point of view, such a ban would only be imposed in the event of demonstrably dangerous situations or, for example, an increased number of injuries. In the opinion of the city administration and the police, the situation in Bonn does not justify such a ban. Particulate matter or noise pollution are also not sufficient legal grounds for such a ban. Nevertheless, the city of Bonn appeals for responsible use of New Year's Eve rockets to protect people and nature.
Time and again, injuries and fire damage occur in connection with New Year's Eve fireworks. The Bonn fire department has therefore compiled important tips on how to handle rockets and firecrackers correctly:
- Only use fireworks and firecrackers as specified in the operating instructions or on the packaging. Never set off fireworks in your hand. Cannonballs and firecrackers are also safest to ignite on the ground.
- Make sure that the bottles used as launchers for rockets are securely positioned and aligned so that the rockets can rise vertically and without obstructions.
- Keep a sufficient distance after the firecracker or rocket has been ignited.
- Only buy fireworks that have a test number from the Federal Office for Materials Testing (BAM). Tampering with or making your own fireworks is life-threatening!
- Do not carry fireworks on your body or in your shirt, trouser or jacket pockets.
- Those who have been drinking alcohol should leave the pyrotechnic part of the New Year to sober “fireworkers”.
- You should remove flammable objects from the balcony on New Year's Eve so that misdirected fireworks do not set them on fire.
Even if you opt for the traditional fondue at the turn of the year, there are a few things to bear in mind when handling spirit, fuel paste and hot fat:
- Only fill cold or cooled spirit burners with the highly flammable liquid. Otherwise it can ignite quickly and possibly set the entire table on fire.
- Never use water to extinguish fat that has caught fire. This will cause a flash fire which can often spread throughout the room and cause severe burns.
- Fight a grease fire with a suitable lid. It should remain on the pot for at least ten minutes to effectively smother the fire. The fondue should also be removed from the heat source. Alternatively, a special fat fire extinguisher (fire class F) can also be used.
- If the situation gets out of control and extinguishing attempts are no longer possible without risk to your own health, close the door to the fire room immediately, leave the home and call the fire department immediately on 112.
Translated with deepL.com (free version)