Thursday, August 21, 2025
Fireworks Ordinance Work Plan Status Report
Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee
August 21, 2025
Item (d)3.
Presented by:
James Dobson, Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal – Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention Education &
Outreach
(Awareness)
Enforcement
Reporting
Program Components
2 2025 Goals
✓ Increase Public Awareness about the Dangers of
Illegal Fireworks
✓ Utilize 2024 Hot Spot Data for Targeted Advertising,
Preemptive Education Presence, and Enforcement
✓ Increase SJ311 Illegal Fireworks Dashboard Refresh
Rate
✓ Reduce Illegal Fireworks Activity, Injuries, and Fires ✓ Further explore and refine the Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle (UAV) Enforcement Program
✓ Complete Illegal Fireworks Fine Adjustment Study
and Propose an Increased Spectator Fine Amount
Thursday, August 21, 2025
July
2025
• Targeted Police
Enforcement Using
UAVs (Drones) Pilot
Program
• Report Processing
• Citations and
Warnings Issued
• Fine Adjustment
Study Complete
June
2025
• Fourth of July Public
Awareness Campaign
Launch
• Fine Adjustment
Study Begins
• AB1403 California’s
Dangerous Fireworks
Fine Increase
Utilization Confirmed
May
2025
• Illegal Fireworks
Partnering Agency
Campaign
Discussions Begin
Jan.-
Feb.
2025
• New Year Public
Awareness Campaign
Launch
• New Years
• Lunar New Year/Tết
• AB1403 California's
Dangerous Fireworks Fine
Increase Discussions
Begin
Aug.
2024
• Completion of
Report Processing,
Citations, and
Warnings Issued
• Lessons Learned
Debrief
• Next Year’s Planning
and Work Plan
Creation
Year-In-Review
3 Thursday, August 21, 2025
2025 Campaign Outreach
4 All advertising is translated in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese Thursday, August 21, 2025
eNotification sent after press conference
Fireworks webpage
Fire Department Responses
5 Total Emergency Responses:
21 – Lunar New Year;
69 – Fourth of July
Structure Fires:
1 – Lunar New Year; 3-Fourth of July
Vegetation Fires:
0 – Lunar New Year; 20-Fourth of July
Outside Rubbish Fires:
2 – Lunar New Year; 27-Fourth of July
Medical Calls:
3 – Lunar New Year; 4-Fourth of July
General Smoke/Noise Complaints:
15 – Lunar New Year; 15-Fourth of July
0 2
4 6
8 10
12 14
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
140
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Medical Calls
Calls for Service
Fourth of July Year Fire Department Calls for Service
Calls for Service
Fires
Medical
Thursday, August 21, 2025
0 2
4 6
8 10
0 20
40 2024 2025
Medical Calls
Calls for Service
Lunar New Year Fire Department Calls for Service
Calls for Service
Fires
Medical
Police Call Volume and Enforcement
6 0
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
0 40
80 120
160
2024 2025
Citations/Arrests
Calls for Service
Lunar New Year Calls for Service and
Criminal Enforcement
Criminal
Citations
Arrests
Calls for
Service
Total Calls for Service:
122 – Lunar New Year
586 – Fourth of July
Criminal Citations Issued:
0 – Lunar New Year
In process – Fourth of July
Arrests:
0 – Lunar New Year
1 – Fourth of July
Confiscated Fireworks:
3,300 lbs. (2025 calendar year)
Thursday, August 21, 2025
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 35
0 500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Citations/Arrests
Calls for Service
Fourth of July Calls for Service and
Criminal Enforcement
Criminal
Citations
Arrests
Calls for
Service
Illegal Fireworks Hotline and SJ311
7 Total Calls Received:
0 – Lunar New Year
132 – Fourth of July
Transferred to Afterhours Service:
0 – Lunar New Year
14 – Fourth of July
Disconnected After Received
Online Reporting Directions:
0 – Lunar New Year
50 – Fourth of July
Thursday, August 21, 2025
0 200
400
600
800
1,000
0 500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Calls Answered by Staff
Hotline Calls Received/Directed
to OLRT
Fourth of July SJ311 Hotline Calls Received
Total Calls
Directed to
Online
Reporting
Tool (SJ311)
Answered by
Staff
0 200
0 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
2024 2025
Calls Answered by Staff
Hotline Calls Received/Directed
to OLRT
Lunar New Year SJ311 Hotline Calls Received
Total Calls
Directed to
Online
Reporting
Tool (SJ311)
Answered by
Staff
Online Reporting Tool (SJ311)
8 Thursday, August 21, 2025
Total Reports Submitted to SJ311:
71 – Lunar New Year (3 duplicates)
889 – Fourth of July (5 duplicates)
Warnings Issued (PBCE)*:
17 – Lunar New Year
71 – Fourth of July
Citations Issued (PBCE)*:
0 – Lunar New Year
15 – Fourth of July
Reports Utilized for Hotspots:
51 – Lunar New Year
723 – Fourth of July
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 90
100
0 10
20 30
40 50
2024 2025
Enforcement (Warning/Citation)
Total Reports/Hotspot
Lunar New Year SJ311 and
Administrative Enforcement
Citations
Warnings
Total
Reports
Hotspot
Data
0 2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
0 200
400
600
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Enforcement (Warning/Citation)
Total Reports/Hotspot
Fourth of July SJ311 and
Administrative Enforcement
Citations
Warnings
Total
Reports
Hotspot
Data
*PBCE – Planning, Building and Code Enforcement
Illegal Fireworks Fine Adjustment Study
9 Thursday, August 21, 2025
Background:
❑ Social Host Ordinance allows for administrative citation issuance for spectators. ❑ No specified fine amount listed → defaults to $25 minimum. ❑ Neighborhood Associations provided input that the current fine amount is not a deterrent.
Fine Adjustment Study:
❑ Surveyed Jurisdictions throughout California.
❑ Coordination between the Fire Department, Code Enforcement & City Attorney’s Office.
❑ Data shows some neighboring jurisdictions have established $500 spectator fines.
Recommendation:
❑ Establish San José’s illegal fireworks spectator fine to $500. ❑ Create a deterrence to help prevent loss of life, property damage, and environmental harm.
❑ Align San José with leading jurisdictions prioritizing public safety & accountability.
Next Steps:
❑ City staff will work with the City Attorney’s Office to amend the schedule of fines. ❑ Updated schedule of fines to be presented to City Council – Fall 2025.
Continued Enhancement:
❑ Collaborate with partner departments to address remaining work plan tasks and evaluate lessons learned. ❑ Engagement with other local, regional, and state jurisdictions to limit the use of illegal fireworks. ❑ Apply for State and Federal grants to invest in programs to deter illegal fireworks use. ❑ Refresh targeted advertising to educate the public about the dangers associated with the illegal use of fireworks. ❑ Evaluate UAVs in conjunction with the Social Host Ordinance pilot for the ability to expand enforcement opportunities. ❑ Collaboration with the District Attorney’s Office using fine amounts of up to $100,000 and jail time for possession of dangerous fireworks.
New Strategies:
❑ Submit for City Council consideration the proposed increased Spectator fine amount of $500. ❑ Evaluate enhanced enforcement strategies and technologies designed to mitigate public safety risks using real-time data.
Next Steps
10 Thursday, August 21, 2025
Questions?
Robert Sapien, Jr., Fire Chief
Fire Department
James Dobson, Deputy Fire Chief / Fire Marshal
Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention
11 Fireworks Ordinance Work Plan Status Report
Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee
August 21, 2025
(d)3.
Thursday, August 21, 2025