Safety headlines at Cape Girardeau Independence event - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

With the triple digits temperatures , safety is the number one consideration at Arena Park. Over the past 12 years, Margie Wakefield has seen firsthand how much fireworks changed.

"If we were hand lighting, we would use one fuse but since we are electronic, we use the electronic match," said Wakefield of AM Pyrotechnics.

Her crew focuses on safety first.

"We are going to do an electronic show as opposed to a hand fire show because they are a little safer and we will be farther from the product," Wakefield said.

So instead of seeing crew members with starters, a board will operate everything. Organizers said not only is it safer, people that who've seen it before think its better.

"Stupendous is a weak word to call them," said Roger Brown, a organizer of the event. "They are unbelievable you've got to see them to believe them."

Another event that is going to be taking place is the demolition derby. Just like anything else, safety is part of the equation. Crews they dug a ditch on the outside of the track to keep fuel from the cars contained and from spreading.

Along with being safe, Brown wants people to celebrate this patriotic holiday.

"This is an important day," said Brown. "Without this day, all the other things we argue about from time to time, what congress is doing, what the constitution actually says, whether its legal to do this or that, it all comes from the patriotism people had to form their own country 230 something years ago."

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