‘Safe and Sane' fireworks pre-applications due March 15

Starting at 9 a.m. Monday, pre-applications for the sale of “Safe and Sane” fireworks will be available from the Porterville Fire Department Station No. 1, 40 W. Cleveland Ave.

This is the first step in the screening process necessary for the selection of those eligible organizations that are interested in selling “Safe and Sane” fireworks in the City of Porterville for July 4.

Eligible organization must be duly organized as either nonprofit, charitable, religious, civic, patriotic or a community service organization.

A copy of the letter from the Internal Revenue Service or the State Franchise Board designating the organization as exempt from federal or state taxes or a copy of Federal Income Tax Form 990 must be submitted with the pre-application.

Only eligible organizations will be entered into the lottery. The organization must have been organized within the city of Porterville for a minimum of one year, continually, preceding the filing of the application for permit. Such organizations must be headquartered within, and clearly affiliated and identified, with the city.

The organization must also be one that provides direct and regular community services and benefits to the citizens of the city, holds its regularly scheduled meetings within the city, and maintains a bona fide membership of at least 20 members.

A lottery system will be conducted between March 18 and March 29 to select the organizations that will be awarded permits for the sale of fireworks in 2013.

For more information, contact Fire Marshal Dave LaPere at 782-7526.

Pre-applications will be accepted from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday through March 15.