Fourth of July Public Safety Statistics

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PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - Last month, the City of Long Beach launched its Celebrate Safely campaign to educate the public about the hazards of fireworks, the consequences of setting off fireworks illegally, and safety tips to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable Independence Day. The Long Beach coastline filled with visitors who enjoyed the professional firework show over the Downtown waterfront on July 4. The City is now issuing the below statistics regarding fireworks and other public safety response efforts.

Complaints Regarding Illegal Firework Activity
The City takes seriously the enforcement of firework activity and has expanded the scope of liability and penalties associated with this illegal activity with its enhanced fireworks ordinance adopted in 2021. In effort to garner reports of firework activity, the City has made multiple reporting options available for the community, including through the Go Long Beach app and webpage, calling the City's Communications Center non-emergency line, and emailing information to the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) patrol division where the fireworks activity was occurring. Additionally, to encourage residents to refrain from using fireworks during the Fourth of July and all summer long, the City is waiving block party permit fees for those who pledge their gathering will be fireworks free; more than 80 block party permits were issued for July 4.

Since the start of Memorial Day Weekend on Friday, May 24, 1,760 fireworks-related reports have been made across all three reporting methods. So far this year, a total of 496 firework related reports have been submitted via Go Long Beach, with 183 submitted on July 4 alone. A total of 675 fireworks-related reports were made on July 4.

The City continues to conduct community outreach to encourage the reporting fireworks activity in Long Beach. When a specific location can be identified for fireworks activity, the City Prosecutor's Office, with support from the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD), issues letters to the associated property owners and tenants notifying recipients that the discharge of illegal fireworks constitutes a public nuisance and that prosecution under California Penal Code section 373a (with up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine) may commence if the public nuisance persists. This year, four letters have been issued to date, with hundreds of submissions that will be reviewed for potential prosecution or other legal action. Under the City's enhanced fireworks ordinance (Municipal Code Section 8.81.060), if someone 'hosts' an event with fireworks - as in property owners, tenants, property managers, landlords or anyone who organizes, supervises, officiates, conducts, controls or is in charge of fireworks activity on a property - they could be held responsible and could be liable for all response costs, which can be upwards of $20,000 per response, in addition to other fines.

Public Safety Response and Enforcement Statistics
As thousands of people flocked to the City's public beaches and parks and gathered at home with family and friends, public safety personnel from the Fire and Police Departments were on duty and ready to provide emergency response.

From Monday, July 1 through Thursday, July 4, Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) personnel responded to a total of five fireworks-related incidents; thankfully, no properties were impacted and no injuries reported. On July 4, LBFD experienced a 17% increase in total calls for service and a 125% increase in outdoor fire related calls compared to the average number of calls received on other days of the year. Additionally, Long Beach lifeguards responded to emergencies and made 203 swim rescues and three boat rescues from beaches and waterways on July 4 alone, a more than 205% increase in water rescues typically performed on a Thursday during the summertime. LBFD personnel also visited 35 permitted block parties that took place throughout Long Beach to engage with residents and educate them on the danger fireworks pose, and promoted the City's Celebrate Safely campaign with 15 social media posts across Facebook, Instagram and X.

During this year's fireworks direct enforcement efforts, which began on June 10 and will continue through July, approximately 450 pieces were seized by LBPD. Citywide police enforcement on July 4 resulted in seven felony arrests, eight misdemeanor arrests. Officers were strategically assigned throughout the city to deter criminal activity, conduct enforcement and prevent significant incidents from occurring. In the weeks and days leading up to Independence Day, LBPD officers visited neighborhoods and business areas to promote the Celebrate Safely campaign; officers and Neighborhood Safety Bike Team officers distributed approximately 1,900 information leaflets. The department also shared important Celebrate Safely and fireworks-related messaging via 14 social media posts. On July 4, LBPD personnel also visited 28 block parties to engage with residents, distribute handouts and remind people of the fireworks reporting options and the importance of the 'See Something, Say Something' philosophy.

City Communications Center Statistics
Since July 1, the City's Communications Center managed 477 fireworks-related incidents via the 9-1-1 and non-emergency lines, with many incidents involving multiple callers. The City's Communications Center has 22 incoming 9-1-1 circuits, and, during the peak periods on the Fourth of July, up to 12 of those circuits were used simultaneously, resulting in zero busy signals for callers. During the 24-hour period of July 4 alone, dispatchers handled calls for 309 fireworks-related incidents and a total of 2,570 calls (9-1-1 and the non-emergency line), resulting in 1,035 calls-for-service. This equates to a 68% increase in total calls received compared to an average day. During the Fourth of July, the Communications Center experiences a significant increase in calls for other holiday-related quality of life incidents beyond fireworks, including disturbances from parties, loud music, fights and parking. During the peak period of 8:30 to 9:15 p.m. on July 4, the Dispatch Center received an average of six calls per minute on both 9-1-1 and the non-emergency lines, with a spike of 75 calls managed in just 15 minutes during that time period. In preparation for this increase in call volume, Dispatch Center staffing was augmented by 20% between the hours of 7 and 11 p.m.

For comparative Call Center data and other stats from 2023, click here.

Social Media Engagement
In the weeks and days leading up to the Fourth of July, the City engaged in a robust social media campaign to promote Celebrate Safely messaging across multiple City departments. More than 100 posts were made across various City social pages, organically reaching more than 120,000 users and resulting in more than 4,000 engagements.

The City will continue to encourage residents to Celebrate Safely throughout the year to prevent the use of fireworks in Long Beach and safeguard the community. The City continues to identify and address firework activity in the city, as addressed in the recent Fireworks Action Plan.

For more information about the Celebrate Safely campaign is available at longbeach.gov/fireworks.

Media inquiries may be directed to the Office of Public Affairs and Communications at [email protected].

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