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South Pasadena public-safety panel recommends drone-only 4th of July show to city council
Summary
The Public Safety Commission voted unanimously Dec. 23 to recommend a drone-only Sky Show for the city—ourth of July celebration, citing public-safety, environmental and health concerns; staff will take the recommendation to city council ahead of a Feb. 2026 vendor award.
The South Pasadena Public Safety Commission voted unanimously on Dec. 23 to recommend a drone-only Sky Show to the City Council for the 2026 Fourth of July celebration.
The commission's recommendation follows a staff presentation outlining three formats 20-minute traditional fireworks show (estimated at $40,000), multiple drone-show options (approximately 10—3 minutes depending on scale) and hybrid proposals that pair drones with limited pyrotechnics. Melissa Snyder, the city's community services deputy director, told commissioners the city has budgeted $175,000 for the overall celebration and that vendor proposals ranged from about $20,000 to $150,000.
Why it mattered: commissioners framed the decision as a public-safety and environmental judgment. Dr. Sankel said he favored a drone show as a public-safety and community-health measure: "I would favor moving away from traditional fireworks towards a drone show." Fire Chief Greg Lloyd emphasized that professionally run commercial fireworks displays include setbacks, safety zones and inspections but noted that most fires from fireworks stem from private, informal use: "Whenever we have a commercial fireworks display, they come with a commercial fireworks plan. There are setbacks. There are safety zones. There's a pre inspection. There's a post inspection. ... On the professional side, it's done very, very much with safety in mind."
Discussion and next steps: commissioners debated whether the commission should set a price cap; the chair and others said contracting and budget specifics were for council to decide. Commissioners also recommended the new public information officer coordinate public outreach and safety education for families and seniors in the months leading to the holiday. Snyder said staff will relay the commission nd other commissions' recommendations to council, with a goal of awarding a contract in February 2026.
The vote: the clerk called the roll on the commission's motion recommending a drone-only show; the motion passed with all commissioners recorded as "aye." The commission did not select a specific vendor; city staff will prepare a council agenda item with staff recommendations on vendor selection and any hybrid options.
