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Fire department reports 53 fireworks-related incidents; police describe drone-observation enforcement and $1,000 administrative fines
Summary
City officials told the council that July 4 response involved 53 incidents (25 medical aids, 11 fires) and about 160 hotline calls; the police described a drone-observation program used to record violations and said the city issues administrative citations with a typical fine of $1,000.
City emergency-response staff and police briefed the Santa Maria City Council on July 7 about an uptick in fireworks-related incidents over the July 4 holiday and described the city’s observational enforcement approach.
A fire-department speaker reported that staff responded to 53 incidents on the July 4 period, including 25 medical-aid calls and 11 small fires linked to illegal fireworks; the fireworks hotline received about 160 calls (115 of them on July 3 and 4). "When we looked at the July 4 response from fire aspect, we actually ran a total of 53 total incidents," the fire representative said.
Police staff described the enforcement approach: officers and a drone-based observation program record violations, gather evidence and then issue administrative citations rather than engaging in direct confrontations at large block parties. The police described the administrative fine as typically $1,000 and said last year the city issued 119 citations; this year's preliminary ground observations could produce about 95 citations pending review of aerial footage. "We observe it, record it, and then mail them a citation," a police official said.
Council members pressed staff on the hotline response, the number of citations that will be issued, and how Santa Maria’s approach compares with other cities such as Oxnard. Staff said they will gather and report comparative statistics and a detailed accounting at the next meeting or via email prior to the next meeting to comply with the Brown Act.
No new enforcement ordinance was adopted at the July 7 meeting; council asked staff for a follow-up report with definitive numbers and the fiscal impacts of any proposed changes.
