201 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Suite #301
Anaheim, CA 92805
Tel: (714) 765-4000
Fax: (714) 765-4008
www.anaheim.net
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
FIRE & RESCUE DEPARTMENT
DATE: JUNE 21, 2022
FROM: ANAHEIM FIRE & RESCUE
SUBJECT: 2022 INDEPENDENCE DAY OPERATIONAL PLAN
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): NO ITEM # 13
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council receive a presentation on the 2022 Independence Day Operational Plan.
DISCUSSION:
In preparation for the 2022 Independence Day holiday, City staff participated in a series of meetings to develop an operational plan to mitigate potential impacts to the community. This plan establishes a strategy for all communications, emergency response, and enforcement within the City regarding both Safe & Sane and illegal fireworks. An outline of this plan is provided below as requested by Councilmember Valencia at the Anaheim City Council meeting held June 7, 2022.
As firework use leading up to the Independence Day holiday becomes more prevalent across the county, associated injuries, calls for service, and enforcement costs increase correspondingly. Planning efforts for 2022 focus on education of the public and confiscation of any fireworks used prior to the Fourth of July. With departmental coordination beginning in May, the goal of this proactive approach is to prevent risks to the public before it becomes an emergency.
Citywide communication efforts for the Fourth of July started in early June and will continue through the holiday. Our messaging includes language on strict enforcement for using illegal fireworks, and is displayed at fireworks stands, as well as posted on social media and at www.Anaheim.net/Fireworks. Digital message boards have been placed on city arterials identifying the fireworks reporting hotline, that Safe & Sane fireworks are only allowed on the Fourth of July, and that all fireworks are prohibited in the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area within the City located in the area east of the Costa Mesa Freeway (State Route 55) and south of the Riverside Freeway (State Route 91) which includes East Anaheim.
Both Anaheim Police and Fire & Rescue will increase staffing leading up to the holiday, including dispatch personnel. This will aid in efficient handling of the increased emergency calls typically experienced through Independence Day. In addition to the augmented staffing, the City will deploy enforcement teams (consisting of Anaheim Fire, Anaheim Police, Code Enforcement, and Park Rangers) to provide a presence in the community prior to the Fourth, acting as a visible deterrent to illegal firework use. 2022 Independence Day Operational Plan
June 21, 2022
Dedicated enforcement patrols are scheduled to begin on Friday, July 1 and continue through July 4 consisting of 84 dedicated enforcement employees during the period.
Enforcement teams will again utilize real-time heat maps that outline calls and complaints geographically so they can concentrate their patrols in areas that are most impacted by illegal fireworks. This tactic is successful in maximizing our patrolling resources.
Though we realize it is nearly impossible to respond to every fireworks related call or complaint individually, we are making our presence known around the City throughout the week prior to the holiday to deter the use of illegal pyrotechnics and ensure the appropriate use of safe and sane fireworks. An increase in fireworks related calls has been experienced over the last few years countywide, and our approach in Anaheim is to address the associated enforcement need in a focused and efficient manner. As in prior years, staff will provide a detailed report to the City Council after the Fourth of July holiday with critical statistics and an assessment of the operational plan.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
Projected cost of overtime for staff engaged in fire suppression, law enforcement, code enforcement, dispatch, and permitting activities to be identified in a post activity report to be filed with City Council after the holiday.
Respectfully submitted,
Patrick Russell
Fire Chief