ONEIDA COUNTY, N.Y. -- Fire officials throughout Oneida County are adamantly opposing a law which would allow the sale of sparklers. While many counties in New York State have already passed similar laws, the Oneida County Executive is hesitant to follow suit

"It's the equivalent of giving kids little torches to run around with," said Utica's Fire Chief, Russell Brooks. 

Brooks along with several other fire officials weren't afraid to be blunt during a public hearing Tuesday morning.

"After we spend all year teaching them not to touch matches," said Brooks. "It's just beyond my imagination, especially how a Utica legislator, with what goes on in the city on 4th of July, could ever say 'yeah let's open the door with this stuff.'"

Earlier this month, the Oneida County Legislature voted in favor of a law which would allow the sale of sparklers.

County Executive Anthony Picente announced immediately following the vote, he planned to veto the law, but before he can officially make his decision, a public hearing had to be held. 

"They're sparklers. Nothing goes aerial, nothing goes in the air, there's no bottle rockets, there's no Roman candles. It's snaps, the snaps that are sold at stores and sparklers that are bamboo, not metal sparklers," said Tami Seaman, a manager at Majestic Fireworks. "Bamboo sparklers, I had a legislator put it on his hand right after it lit and it did nothing to him." 

Seaman said because of the ban on fireworks sales, they've had to sell their products in other nearby counties. 

"I want our tax dollars to stay here and we've got so much business opportunity between rentals and employment and, yeah, money," Seamen said. "Of course that's another issue, everyone's saying it's only about money to us, it's part of that, it's thriving in our county that we live."

However, fire officials say while additional tax dollars are always welcome, it should never compromise safety. 

"I've been on calls where youngsters have actually gone to the store and purchased these sparkling devices and started fires with them. Fire wasn't the intentional thing, but they lit the sparklers in the house," said Raymond Centolella, Utica's Chief Fire Marshal.

Picente will announce his final decision regarding the law in the coming weeks.