Press Release  State Fire Marshal Permanently Revokes Fireworks Shooter’s License

STOW — State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine has issued a permanent revocation of a Boston man’s license to shoot fireworks for improperly storing dozens of boxes and trash bags full of pyrotechnics in two vehicles last year.

Evidence introduced at the Oct. 11 hearing established that FREDERICK P. BARBETTA of Charlestown violated two provisions of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Fire Safety Code. Specifically, the hearing officer determined that Barbetta improperly kept fireworks on and around his property despite a requirement that they be stored securely in a fixed or portable storage magazine, and that he kept these fireworks for personal use and not as part of a properly permitted display.

Prior to the hearing, Barbetta had held a certificate of competency – the license to work as a fireworks shooter in Massachusetts – since 2009. To earn a certificate of competency, a fireworks shooter must be familiar with the relevant provisions of the Fire Code and National Fire Protection Association standards on fireworks storage, transportation, and use.

“Massachusetts has among the lowest rates of fireworks injuries in the nation because we strictly regulate these dangerous devices,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “Every year, fire service leaders urge residents to leave fireworks to the professionals. This was not professional conduct.”

In a written decision dated Oct. 18, the Marshal found that “there is substantial and credible evidence to warrant the permanent revocation” of Barbetta’s certificate of competency.

The case was brought forth after the Boston Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Unit and the Boston Police Department’s Bomb Squad recovered 58 boxes and two trash bags of fireworks from a van and minivan parked in a residential section of Charlestown on Nov. 17, 2022. The fireworks had been in plain view within the vehicles, which had not been moved for weeks, and could have caused a fire or explosion that led to property damage, injury, or death.

The State Police Bomb Squad assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office was called to take custody of these explosive devices, and the Boston Fire Department notified the Department of Fire Services’ Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit of the apparent Fire Code violations. Based on reports, photos, and other documentation that the Boston Fire Department provided to DFS, Barbetta’s hearing was initially set for June but continued until October by agreement with the Department of Fire Services.

On Oct. 25, the State Fire Marshal’s office notified the state’s fire chiefs that Fireworks Certificate of Competency #FW-004459, previously held by Barbetta, had been permanently revoked and that he was prohibited from conducting any work regulated under that certificate. Anyone aware of regulated work being conducted under that certificate is asked to notify the DFS Code Compliance & Enforcement Unit at 978-567-3375.

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