Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 8.1 7-4-01FireworksActivAGENDA STATEMENT CITY CLERK File # 650-60 & 110-30 CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: September 18, 2001 SUBJECT: Report on July 4, 2001 Fireworks Activity RepOrt Prepared by dohn Hardester, Police Services Lieutenant ATTACHMENTS: A',Video depicting fireworks/trash ctisposed of at City Parks will be presented at the meeting. RECOMMENDATION: Receive thetReport Authorize Staff to establish a committee that would develop a plan to address fireworks related activities in the City of Dublin on July 4, 2002. The committee would include one representative each from Police Services, Public Works, Fire Prevention, Parks and Community Service, non-profit organizations operating the fireworks stands, and the manufacturer of the fireworks as well. FINANCIAL STATEMENT: Police Services utilized five additional overtime patrol officers to work from 5:00 P.M. on July 4th until 1:00 A.M. on July 5th at a cost of $1,825.00. The Fire Department utilized the services of four additional fire fighters for the July 4th Holiday at a cost of $1,928.00. MCE utilized their staff for a period of 37 ½ hours to clean up after the July 4th Holiday at a cost of $1,225.00. The total cost to the City (related to the July 4th Holiday) was $4,978.00. There was no damage to public structures, and minor damage to turf located at the Shannon Community Center as a result of fireworks use. DESCRIPTION: The sale and use of "safe and sane" fireworks is permitted in the City of Dublin pursuant to the Municipal Code. Dublin is one of two cities in Alameda County that deem the sale and use of"safe and sane" fireworks to be legal during the July 4th period. Union City previously sold "safe and sane" fireworks, however, due to events that occurred this past 4th of July, that city will no longer sell "safe and sane" fireworks. In addition to a full complement of personnel on July 4th, five (5) additional overtime patrol personnel were assigned to work from 5:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M. on the 5th. Dublin Police Services received twenty- two (22) calls for service during the above time frame. The vast majority of those calls concerned the use H/cc-form s/agdastmt.doc COPIES TO: ITEM NO. of illegal fireworks and associated noise-related issues. The 22 calls for service are not reflective of the total number of calls for service received as the dispatch center "bundled" calls that were received from a particular geographic area and dispatched them as a single call. The City of Dublin experienced a significant increase of illegal fireworks usage over the past several years. Enforcement of illegal fireworks use was publicized through signs posted at the "safe and sane" fireworks stands. The signs warned that illegal fireworks are prohibited and provided a phone number to report such activity. The use of illegal fireworks was widespread throughout the City despite enforcement and seizure efforts. The use of such fireworks poses a threat to public safety, in terms of the serious fire hazard and the potential for injury due to the explosive characteristics of such fireworks. The primary locations in which illegal fireworks activity occurred were at the Arroyo Vista complex, the Dublin Sports Ground, and at the Shannon Community Center. Police Services confiscated illegal fireworks for destruction and participants in such illegal activity were dispersed. No citations or arrests were made. The Fire Department responded to four (4) grass fires and one (1) refuse fire in a trashcan on July 4a, through the early morning hours of July 5, 2001. The grass fires were believed to have been caused by the use of illegal fireworks (bottle rockets). The fire in the trashcan was believed to have been caused by "recklessness," in that fireworks were improperly disposed of in the can. The fires were extinguished without any damage to structures within the City. There were no reported fireworks-related injuries during the July 4th holiday time period. This year saw a significant increase in the use of City parks to ignite "safe and sane" fireworks. Reports from Police personnel indicated that the majority of individuals using Dublin parks as a place to ignite legal fireworks were not residents of Dublin. The Dublin Sports Grounds and the Shannon Community Center were the two parks most heavily utilized by the public for ignition of fireworks on the 4th. The public also utilized private parking lots at San Ramon Village, Shamrock Village, and at Circuit City to ignite safe and sane fireworks. There were several issues related to the use of legal fireworks at City parks, including the following: · There was overcrowding in the parking lots at the Dublin Sports Grounds and at Shannon Community Center, resulting in groups using play areas and grass areas to ignite their fireworks. At the Sports Grounds, groups of individuals ignited fireworks on the baseball/softball diamonds. They were asked to move by Police Services and they complied. · One individual demonstrated poor judgment with the use of safe and sane fireworks, as he was observed using a slingshot to shoot ignited fireworks into the air. He was asked to leave and he complied. · Another individual modified a "Piccolo Pete," causing it to shoot across the parking lot like a rocket when ignited. He was asked to leave the park and he complied. · The trash containers in the parks were filled rapidly, resulting in individuals leaving their expended fireworks where they had been ignited. Considerable refuse was left in the play areas, grass areas, and parking lots at the Sports Grounds and Shannon Community Center. Issues related to fireworks use in the City, such as overcrowding at the Sports Grounds and at the Shannon Community Center, damage to turf at parks, significant vehicular traffic in and around the parks, and costs associated with cleanup of parks following fireworks use, are increasing. Staff believes that such issues can be addressed through increased public education and through coordination of appropriate City- provided services, which could be accomplished through establishment of a committee, as described below. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council authorize establishment of a committee that would develop a plan to address fireworks related activities in the City of Dublin on July 4, 2002. The committee could include one representative each from Police Services, Public Works (MCE), Fire Prevention, and Parks and Community Service. The committee would also include representatives from the non-profit organizations operating the fireworks stands and from the manufacturer of the fireworks.