In Bellevue—where all fireworks are illegal--police and firefighters are offering a 4th of July smartphone app to report fireworks use without calling 911.
The new “Fireworks Reporting” option on the MyBellevue app is part of an emphasis-patrol pilot program, and the first of it’s kind in Washington State.
"Normally people would need to call 9-1-1, and that can tie up all the lines," said Bellevue Firefighter Lt. Camari Olson. "With the app, you just go right to your phone, take a photo, pinpoint your location, and let the patrols have access to your information right away." The city's website, www.bellevuewa.gov, also has a tab for reporting fireworks.
Reports generate "heat maps" where multiple complaints are identified. Independence Day emphasis patrols, which typically include both police and firefighters, are then dispatched to cool down those hot spots.
The pilot program includes the option of planting a free city-printed yard sign to send the message, "Respect the Ban" to neighbors. Residents can call (425) 452-6995 for a yard sign.
Last year, seven Bellevue fire trucks scrambled to contain a fireworks-related brush fire, which burned acres of sports fields at Sammamish High School. The state fire marshal's office says 209 people were hurt by fireworks in 2018, and it blamed fireworks accidents for causing 92 separate fires.
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