Fire officials say the Fourth of July is the busiest day of the entire year for 911 calls.
So, nearly every community is asking that fireworks complaints go to a non-emergency number. Pierce County has even created a website for fireworks reports that don’t involve injuries.
They county is expecting to be busy with many emergencies. So, this is a way to keep 911 free and not further endanger lives. The biggest culprit in all of this? It’s almost always, fireworks.
Even on this overcast, intermittently rainy day before the Fourth of July, business is roaring at Firecracker Alley, the newly minted fireworks emporium set up on the Puyallup reservation.
For some, fireworks are essential to celebrating this country’s independence.
“Oh, every single year,” said Salah Mustafa, of Puyallup. “New Year’s and the Fourth of July.”
Moreover, the three weeks that Firecracker Alley is open provides a source of revenue for those on the other side of the booth, many of whom are related.
“So, it’s not just about making money and fireworks,” said Daryle Barnes, Jr. the vice chairman of the Puyallup Tribal Commission. “It’s about social gathering and spending time with one another.”
But many of the fireworks sold here are illegal, even in unincorporated Pierce County, which does allow for some limited fireworks.
And first responders are bracing for a repeat of what they saw last year.
“So, last year, the state Fire Marshal’s office reported 360 fires, 100 burns, 33 amputations and three deaths all from fireworks,” said Central Pierce Fire Captain Darrin Shaw.
That, he says, translates into a very busy holiday for 911 dispatchers.
“The 911 system tomorrow is usually the most-called day of the whole entire year,” he added.
So, the county is asking that fireworks reports be made to a website — fireworksreport.com — and not 911, unless there are injuries or an active fire.
“We already know that 911 is overburdened,” said Tacoma City Councilmember Sarah Rumbaugh, who is also on the South Sound 911 board. “And we all know that our police departments are working hard to react and be at violent crime.”
Of course, the authorities say that the best way to enjoy fireworks is to go to the ones put on by local communities.
They are accessible, free, and above all, very safe.
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