On Sat, 13 Aug 2005 18:19:45 GMT, "Steve" wrote:

I now have TWO full canisters of expired flares, both hand held and 12
gauge, with expiration dates that make them old enough to buy booze. I keep
the flares that are up to 3 years expired for backups, just in case, behind
the canisters of the unexpired flares.

I've asked 3 fire departments, 3 police officers, the USCG Auxiliary and the
USPS (Power Squadron, not the post office) and all I get is "I don't
know..." or, one fire department told me to take them out on the Chesapeake
Bay and fire them horizontally, preferably at Bayliners.

What do YOU do?

What I have done is gather some friends together, call the local
authorities/dispatch centers/Coast Guard and have a "flare training"
session.

However, I'm surprised that none of those agencies were interested in
your offer.

There's no reason not to call the local authorities/dispatch
centers/Coast Guard and tell them that you want to practice with the
expired flares, that you will be doing it in such and such a place at
such and such a time on this date and just go do it.

Later,

Tom