COUNCIL LATE AGENDA ITEMS
Council Meeting
July 28, 2026
July 28, 2026
City Council Meeting
PowerPoint Presentation
2026 Fireworks
Program
Outreach:
Distributed 200 Educational Fliers in areas identified as high call volume
Electronic Signboards in the Prohibited Area
Longridge / Meats for EB traffic
Jamboree / Chapman for NB traffic
Chapman / Los Timbres
Santiago Canyon E/O Cannon for EB traffic
Meats / Via Escola for traffic entering Orange
from Anaheim on Meats
Jamboree / Canyon View for NB traffic
Cannon N/O Santiago Canyon for NB traffic
“You Light, We Cite” Billboard (55 Freeway)
Encourage Reporting of Illegal Fireworks:
Orange 24/7 Mobile Application
Dedicated Firework Hotline
PD Info Email
Police Department
Strategy:
June 22 - July 4
Deploy electronic signboards and open public
reporting platforms
July 1 - July 3
Staff one team of 2 Officers 6 PM To Midnight
Focus enforcement efforts in areas with reported
firework activity and respond to calls for service
July 4
Staff two teams of 2 Officers to support Code
Enforcement with drone operations
Police Department
Police Department
Results: June 20th – July 4th
Confiscations:
5 locations
Firecrackers, 35 Mortars, 12
Roman Candles
Total Calls (Includes Dispatch, Hotline,
24/7 App, and PD Info Email): 368
Dispatch – 304 (Mapped)
Hotline – 17
24/7 App - 58
PD Info Email – 7
61 in the prohibited area – 18.7%
Comparison:
o 2024 – 427
o 2025 - 302
Total Calls (Includes Dispatch, Hotline,
24/7 App, and PD Info Email): July 4th -
228
Dispatch: 180
Hotline: 10
24/7 App: 36
PD Info Email: 2
34 were in the prohibited area –
18.9%
Arrest of Interest:
July 3, 2026 Traffic Stop
3 mortar-style fireworks and
launcher recovered
Driver was arrested for Health and
Safety Code Violations
Police Department
Dispatch fireworks calls for
service: 6/20/2026
to 7/4/2026
304 Total Calls
61 in the prohibited area –
18.7%
Code Enforcement - Social Host and Illegal
Fireworks Discharge Violations:
Drone Program – Video Evidence
Totals: 13 properties identified
8 properties: Totaling approximately $240,000 in fines o 700 Block of N. Elmwood St = $111,000
o 700 Block of E. Barkley Ave = $69,000
o 600 Block of N. Highland St = $21,000
o 2200 Block of E. Sycamore Ave = $15,000
o 2100 Block of E. Jacaranda Ave= $9,000
o 2500 Block of E. Collins Ave = $5,000
o 1000 Block of N. Sacramento St = $5,000
o 2100 Block of E. Jacaranda Ave = $5,000
3 properties – Unable to substantiate an offender
1 property – Owner surrendered 26 aerial mortars in leu of fines
1 Property - Observed proactively by Code Enforcement & Police Officers
Code Enforcement: Drone Footage
Code Enforcement: Next Steps
Issuance of Administrative Citations
Collections – paid and unpaid fines administered by 3rd party vendor Appeal of Citation - 30 days period
Payment of appeal fee required
Waiver of fine deposit allowed until decision by independent hearing officer Payment Plan option
Fines collected to be used for offsetting staff costs and/or purchase of newer drones
Fire Department
Prevention & Public Education
Fireworks Safe Disposal Campaign
The Emergency Management Division and Orange City CERT partnered with the Orange Community Foundation and Home Depot Foundation to organize the second year of the Fireworks Safe Disposal Campaign.
CERT volunteers distributed 1,800 buckets to all 12 firework booths across the city from July1-3, each labeled with safety instructions on proper disposal of used fireworks.
Fire Safety Inspections and Outreach
The Fire Prevention Division conducted inspections of all 12 firework booths to ensure compliance with fire safety requirements and proper booth setup.
Fire Safety Specialists ensured clear signage identifying permitted and prohibited areas for safe-and-sane firework use was visibly posted and required vendors to distribute bilingual flyers in English and Spanish.
Fourth of July Social Media Outreach
Social media was leveraged to share messaging on firework regulations, safety guidance, and real-time incident updates throughout the holiday period.
Fire Department social media included four main posts and three Instagram Stories, generating a combined campaign impact of 62,740 views and 1,214 engagements.
Multiple posts shared on the City’s Instagram and Facebook platforms generated an additional 8,300 views.
Fire Department
Incidents & Statistics
Major Firework-Related Incidents
July 4th
West Palmyra – Garage fire involving trash cans containing used fireworks East Hoover – Structure fire; disposed fireworks suspected as origin North Lemon – Dumpster fire; used fireworks found
South Lewis Street – Box fire caused by used fireworks North Morgan – Lawn fire caused by fireworks
July 5th
East Locust – Palm tree fire; fireworks suspected
July 6th
Hart Park Riverbed – Vegetation fire response; fireworks suspected TotalService CallsOtherMedical
Incidents
Fire
IncidentsDate
14661111415July 3-5, 2026
130691141June 5-7, 2026
6437468Jul 4, 2026
4921460Jun 5, 2026
Fourth of July Response Statistics
Safe & Sane Fireworks Booths
Second Year of Non-profit Fundraising
Changes
Two-year permit cycle
Revised "automatic" permittees
Updated affiliated organization language
Lottery Process
City staff conducted an application process early in 2026 27 total qualified non-profits submitted applications 12 total organizations were slated to receive permits 3 "Automatic" Orange Based High schools (Orange HS, El Modena and Richland) 9 Randomly selected lottery applicants (non-profits)
Orange Lutheran High SchoolGreater Orange Community Arts Theater Foundation (GOCAT) McPherson Education FoundationOrange Plaza Rotary Club
Journey to Hope MinistriesCedar Tree Music and Performance Orange Antlers #1475/Orange Elks Lodge #1475Young Life
Santiago Canyon College Foundation
2026 Booth Locations
Fireworks were sold at permitted booths:
July 1st - July 3rd from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and July 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Sales/Revenue
Preliminary Figures
2026 Gross Revenue Estimate ($597K)
Increase of approximately 15% ($515K in 2025)
City will collect up to 7% of the gross sales (pro rata share per permittee) of Safe & Sane Fireworks sold in the City (est. Not-to-exceed $42K)
This collection offsets actual costs incurred related to program: permit processing/issuance, inspection, enforcement, public education and related fire operation/suppression efforts Ongoing efforts
Finalizing City Cost and Invoicing
Final costs to be submitted and invoiced by Sept. 2nd.
Continued Coordination
Electronic survey for non-profit permittees
Debrief meeting with wholesaler/distributors
Confirmation of "year-two" permittee status
Coordination with internal stakeholders for future outreach Early year-two application process
Non-profits will have additional time to submit applications Additional coordination between City and wholesalers
Next steps
Questions?