Fire chief credits education, visible enforcement and aircraft surveillance for a quieter July 4

Fire Chief Tom Pierce told the board that this year’s Fourth of July enforcement and education effort produced substantially fewer illegal fireworks incidents than in prior years.

"Overall, it was a pretty quiet night," Pierce said. He described interagency coordination, visible patrols and social-media education as key components and said aerial surveillance flown on July 3 contributed to deterrence. Pierce said the aircraft cost the district $11,000 for the night and that donations from vendors and booths totaled about $14,500; he also cited an estimated $15,006.43 in surcharge proceeds reported by a vendor representative. Pierce recommended continuing the balanced approach and, if possible, securing aerial surveillance on the actual July 4 in future years.

Board members praised the outreach and enforcement. One director urged caution about any ordinance changes because the district may lack clear jurisdiction over street rights of way; Pierce and staff said the district’s ordinance already restricts fireworks in certain public areas and that proposed language could be crafted to preserve emergency access while allowing safe, supervised use in limited locations.

Pierce said staff will provide a fuller accounting of costs and any outstanding citations as data are reconciled with the sheriff’s office and the county. The board did not take policy action at the meeting but asked staff to return with any proposed ordinance changes for a future discussion.