Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 5.B
Meeting Date: June 10, 2026
From: Rick Sanchez, Police Chief
Title: 2026 Firework Enforcement and Response Activity
RECOMMENDATION:
This presentation for the 2026 Firework Enforcement and Response activity is for presentation and discussion only. No formal recommendation required.
BACKGROUND:
The ordinance permitting “Safe and Sane” fireworks in Cathedral City was repealed by City Council on March 25, 2020. With the repeal of the ordinance and the adoption of the 2019 California Fire Code, all fireworks are prohibited within Cathedral City. At the May 13, 2026 City Council meeting, the Council heard the first reading of an ordinance adding Chapter
11.21 to Title 11 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code to create a dedicated chapter in the Municipal Code that addresses responsible-person liability, nuisance abatement, cost recovery and supplemental civil, administrative and criminal remedies. A second reading and adoption of the ordinance is being heard tonight, along with a resolution establishing a $1,000 fine for violations of Chapter 11.21. If approved by the City Council, the new ordinance and fines will be in effect before July 4, 2026.
The new ordinance does not create a new authorization for fireworks; it strengthens the City’s ability to enforce the existing prohibitions and respond to fireworks violations in a more effective manger. A key component of the new ordinance is the responsible-person liability provision. The ordinance would allow enforcement against persons who cause, permit, aid, abet, or allow fireworks violations, including property owners, tenants, occupants, persons in control of a property and event organizers, where appropriate.
The illegal possession and discharge of aerial and explosive fireworks continue to present enforcement and public safety challenges for the Police and Fire Departments. In anticipation of the upcoming Independence Day weekend, the Police Department is preparing proactive enforcement efforts to address illegal fireworks activity throughout the city.
DISCUSSION:
During the 2025 Independence Day holiday period, Cathedral City Police Department (CCPD) officers responded to 198 calls for service, including 55 calls related to fireworks activity.
Beginning in June 2026, the Police Department will post educational materials regarding illegal fireworks and related safety concerns on its social media platforms.
Because Independence Day falls on a Saturday in 2026, the Police Department’s operational period will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026, and continue through midnight on Saturday, July 4, 2026. Additional sworn personnel will be deployed to support response and enforcement efforts related to fireworks activity. These officers will be strategically assigned to areas that have historically experienced the highest levels of illegal fireworks activity. The additional staff will supplement regularly scheduled patrol operations.
Code Compliance Officers will assist CCPD personnel by participating in two-person patrol units on Friday July 03, 2026, and Saturday July 04, 2026. To address the anticipated increase in calls for service, an additional dispatcher will also be assigned to the dispatch center on the evening of July 4, 2026.
The Police Department will deploy Drone First Responder (DFR) units from 6:00 p.m. to midnight on July 4, 2026. The DFR units will respond to firework-related calls for service and assist officers in identifying violators.
An operational plan outlining enforcement procedures and response protocols related to illegal fireworks activity will be distributed to on-duty personnel.
Individuals found in possession of and/or discharging illegal fireworks, or allowing fireworks to be discharged on their property, will be subject to criminal enforcement action or Cathedral City Municipal Code (CCMC) violations (pending approval by City Council of the new ordinance and resolution tonight). Confiscated fireworks will be disposed of in coordination with Cathedral City Fire & EMS.
Cathedral City Fire & EMS will launch its “No Fireworks” campaign on June 8, 2026. The campaign will include the following:
Daily social media posts, reels, and stories on Facebook and Instagram highlighting the dangers of fireworks (No Cost)
Placement of signs on 20 SunLine bus shelters throughout the city (No Cost) Removable decals placed on all Fire Department vehicles ($400) Use of the City’s digital billboards displaying “All Fireworks Are Prohibited” messaging (No Cost)
Additionally, the city will distribute informational mailers to residents. The estimated cost for the mailer campaign is approximately $13,000 and will be funded through the Fire Department budget. The mailing schedule will be coordinated by the Communications Department.
The total estimated cost to be funded through the Fire Department budget is $13,400.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The estimated fiscal impact associated with the Fire Department’s public outreach campaign is $13,400, funded through the Fire Department budget. Additional Police Department staffing and operational costs will be absorbed within the department’s existing budget allocations. Code Compliance staffing will be absorbed within their department’s existing budget.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal E-Safety
E-2-Continue to explore and utilize technology to promote public safety.
ATTACHMENTS:
None