Old flares and signal rockets

[Bolo]

I know that I'm not the only one who has out of date signal flares and rockets. But now I have a real collection of them! Although I do keep some on board as "spares" the bulk are at home and I do want to safely get rid of them. I sail on the Chesapeake Bay but live in south central PA. Just called my local fire department and they seemed befuddled as to what to do with them although they did say to bring them around and they would "do something with them."

What do you do with you out of date signal devices?

 

[Ray Rhode]

Bob,

I dodged the issue by using the ACR DistresSOS light and Inflatable SOS flag. They never expire. The light is CG approved, floats, is very bright (50,000 candellas), and flashes for six hours on four D cell batteries. The flag has an inflatable border to keep it open without wind and it will float.

Ray Rhode
S/V Journey
E35-III, #189

 

[Frank Langer]

Last New Year's, several of us decided to do a "test" to see if our 6 year old flares would still work, so we set off about ten of them among the various fireworks, and all ten still worked. Although it was a relatively safe way to dispose of the extras unobtrusively, the main thing we learned is that it doesn't hurt to keep some older ones around, as they will likely still work well past their expiry date. But if you have too many, you will still need to get rid of some.
Frank.

 

[jreddington]

While it is OK (and a good idea) to keep some of your out-of-date flares, really old ones can destabilize and become a fire hazard in themselves. I just went through my inventory and found some about 15 years old. Pulled them out but now they're just sitting in the garage so I've just moved the problem.

I know the Coast Guard has occassional "demonstration days" where they announce a dated, time and location, where you can then legally set them off. However, I never seem to make those.

I'll have to check the flare manufacturer's sites to see if they have suggesstions or programs for safe disposal.

 

[Loren Beach]

In my area, the USCG or the CG Aux will have a collection period about once a year.
Loren in PDX

 

[noproblemo2]

This post just reminded me that when we bought our huse in Mexico we packed our old ones with the gun, to bring for emergencies since we can't have the real ones here, so after reading this I went to that box and unpacked it and put it in the nightstand.Mexican Independence day is coming up next month, good time to get rid of a few

 

[Chris Miller]

I give my old ones to West Marine when I buy new... "Can I leave my old ones with you guys?? Great, thanks!"
Chris

 

[jreddington]

I give my old ones to West Marine when I buy new... "Can I leave my old ones with you guys?? Great, thanks!"
Chris

I asked the same thing when I bought my new ones from the West Marine in New London. Their response was "No way".

Might be different rules at different stores due to their leases or their insurance contracts.

Here's what Orion's web site says:

Disposal

To dispose of expired marine pyrotechnic distress signals, Orion recommends the following method:

Donate expired flares to local Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadron for use in their training classes.

Ignite hand-held signals flares on land in a safe area, much the same as highway flares would be ignited.

Contact a local law enforcement or the fire protection agency for their advice on proper visual distress signal disposal.

Retain flares for back-up use to expand signaling time in the event of an emergency.

NEVER jettison visual distress signals overboard.

NEVER activate marine flares in a non-emergncy situation on or near regulated water.

NEVER dispose of flares in household trash.

I guess my next step is to contact the local fire department.

 

[Bill Sanborn]

Skyblazers early expiration

On New Years and 4th of July I get rid of my old Skyblazers. It has been my experience that Skyblazers are prone to early failure. Don't rely on them past their expiration date.

Some have failed even before expiration.

Has anybody else noticed this problem with Skyblazers?

 

[NateHanson]

Be careful with the 4th of July thing. It was my understanding that it was allowed, but a friend of mine was actually arrested, and put in JAIL for a couple hours for setting off expired flares from his boat in Salem Harbor 2 years ago.