Fire Department 2020 July 4th weekend review

For several weeks Kern County has seen an increase in illegal firework activity similar to that being seen across the nation. During this time the Kern County Fire Department has continued to fully staff its fire stations and prioritize emergency activity.

In anticipation of the greater call volume, a new online form was developed for reporting illegal fireworks, aimed at reducing calls to the Emergency Communication Center. This new online submission feature has received an astonishing 5,165 reports since June 15. While emergency activity has continued to be the number one priority, investigations and enforcement of Kern County Ordinances related to illegal fireworks has continued.

Your Kern County Fire Department’s Firefighters have responded to reports of illegal fireworks and the Arson Unit has investigated reports pertaining to users and distributors. As a result of these efforts, thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks were seized.

We are proud of the hard work of the men and women of the Kern County Fire Department and their commitment to providing essential emergency services to this community. Listed below is a statistical overview of the Independence Day weekend.

2018 Dispatch Center*

Total calls: 4,369

Illegal Firework Reports: 316

2020 Dispatch Center

Total calls: 6,925 (+58.5 percent)

Illegal Fireworks Reports:

703 (+122.4 percent)

*2018 data used to provide most recent comparable year not influenced by

natural disaster.

Online Illegal Fireworks Reports

1,707 combined with the 703 reported through the dispatch center gives an Independence Day weekend total of

2,410 (+660 percent).

Citations

35

Fireworks Seized

2,000 pounds