Thursday, August 20, 2026
Fireworks Ordinance Work Plan Status ReportPublic Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support CommitteeAugust 20, 2026Item (d)3.Presented by: Greg Tuyor, Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal – Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention Education &
Outreach
(Awareness)
Enforcement
Reporting
Program Components
2 2026 Goals
Increase public awareness about the dangers of illegal fireworks
Utilize 2025 hot spot data for targeted advertising,
preemptive education presence, and enforcement
Enhance the SJ311 illegal fireworks reporting tool customer experience
Reduce illegal fireworks activity, injuries, and fires Further explore and refine the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Enforcement Program
Expand interdepartmental coordination with Police, PBCE, IT, and Animal Care Services
Thursday, August 20, 2026
July
2026
• Targeted Police and
Code Enforcement Citations using UAVs (Drones)
• Targeted Alviso
enforcement
• Report processing
Jun
2026
• Press conference• Professional show
promotion
• Bus shelter
advertising
• Submitted for 2-year
Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant through FEMA
Spring
2026
• SJ311
Improvements
• Regional campaign• Targeted advertising
JanFeb
2026
• Lunar New Year/Tết
public awareness campaign.
• Outreach• Enforcement
Aug
2025
• Completion of
report processing, citations & warnings issued
• Lessons-learned
debrief
• 2026 planning and
workplan creation
Year In Review
3 Thursday, August 20, 2026
2026 Campaign Outreach
4 All advertising is translated in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and traditional Chinese Fireworks webpage
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Fire Department Responses
5 Total Emergency Responses: 14 – Lunar New Year69 – Fourth of JulyStructure Fires: 3 – Lunar New Year; 0 – Fourth of July
Vegetation Fires:0 – Lunar New Year;
9 – Fourth of July
Outside Rubbish Fires:0 – Lunar New Year; 26 – Fourth of July Medical Calls:3 – Lunar New Year, 15 – Fourth of July
General Smoke/Noise Complaints:8 – Lunar New Year; 17 – Fourth of July 0246810121416
0 20406080
100120
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Medical Calls
Calls for Service
Fourth of July Fire Department Calls for Service
Calls for ServiceFiresMedical
0246810
0 2040
2024 2025 2026
Medical Calls
Calls for Service
Lunar New Year Fire Department Calls for Service
Calls for ServiceFiresMedical
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Drone Footage – Illegal Fireworks Enforcement
6 Thursday, August 19, 2021
Police Call Volume and Enforcement
7 7
0 0
2 0
1 012345678
0 4080
120160
2024 2025 2026
Calls for Service
Citations/Arrests
Lunar New Year (T
ết) Police Department
Calls for Service
CriminalCitationsArrestsCalls forService
Total Calls for Service: 82 – Lunar New Year450 – Fourth of JulyCriminal Citations Issued: 0 – Lunar New YearIn process – Fourth of JulyArrests: 1 – Lunar New Year1 – Fourth of JulyConfiscated Fireworks: 46.3 lbs 5 30
7 0 0 1
11 1 1 1
05101520253035
0 100200300400500600700
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Citations/Arrests
Calls for Service
Fourth of July Calls for Service and
Criminal Enforcement
CriminalCitationsArrestsCalls forService
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Illegal Fireworks Hotline and SJ311
8 Total Calls Received:10 – Lunar New Year139 – Fourth of July Transferred to Afterhours Service:5 – Lunar New Year52 – Fourth of JulyDisconnected After Received Online Reporting Directions:2 – Lunar New Year29 – Fourth of July 0200
0 100200300400500600
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Calls Answered by Staff
Hotline Calls
Received/Directed to OLRT
Fourth of July SJ311 Hotline Calls Received
Total CallsDirected toOnlineReportingTool (SJ311)Answered byStaff 024681012
02468
1012
2024 2025 2026
Calls Answered by Staff
Hotline Calls
Received/Directed to OLRT
Lunar New Year SJ311 Hotline Calls Received
Total CallsDirected toOnlineReportingTool (SJ311)Answered byStaff Thursday, August 20, 2026
Online Reporting Tool (SJ311)
9 Total Reports Submitted to SJ311:38 – Lunar New Year (1 duplicate)522 – Fourth of July (8 duplicates) Warnings Issued (PBCE):11 – Lunar New Year (1 duplicate)80 – Fourth of July Citations Issued (PBCE):1 – Lunar New Year6 – Fourth of July Reports Utilized for Hotspots:26 – Lunar New Year426 – Fourth of July 18 17
1 2
0 1
050100150200
05 101520
Enforcement (Warning/Citation) 2024 2025 2026
Total Reports/Hotspot
Lunar New Year SJ311 and
Administrative Enforcement
WarningsCitationsTotalReportsHotspotData
252
120 105
71 80
10 0 0 15
2 01,500
0 50
100150200250300
Enforcement (Warning/Citation) 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Total Reports/Hotspot
Fourth of July SJ311 and
Administrative Enforcement
WarningsCitationsTotalReportsHotspotData
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Animal Care Services (Initiated July 4th, 2026)
10 ACS increased public education focused on keeping pets safeFourth of July Staff additions: 1 additional Animal Control Officer 7 – Total Emergency Incidents2 – Dogs Struck by Vehicles4 – Incidents Involving Aggressive Dogs1 – Stray/Lost/Roam 19 – Stray Dog ReportsIn progress – Animals Received
Data shows the impact of fireworks as increased amounts of displaced and stray dogs in the days following the Fourth of July Holiday (July 4th – July 6th).
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Illegal Fireworks Fine Adjustment Study
11 Thursday, August 20, 2026
Background:Social Host Ordinance allows administrative citations for spectators of illegal fireworks.Previous fine amount was $25.Fine Adjustment Study:Fire Department, Code Enforcement, and City Attorney’s Office surveyed jurisdictions throughout California.Review identified neighboring jurisdictions with spectator fines of $500.Staff recommended increasing San José’s spectator fine to improve deterrence and regional consistency.Council Action based on 2025 Recommendations:City Council approved increasing the spectator fine from $25 to $500 in December 2025.Creates a deterrence to help prevent loss of life, property damage, and environmental harm.Aligns San José with leading jurisdictions prioritizing public safety and accountability. 2026 Implementation:
$500 spectator fine now in effect.Continue coordination among Fire, Code Enforcement, Police, and the City Attorney’s Office to support enforcement.Evaluate citation activity and effectiveness following the first major enforcement periods under the increased fine. $500 spectator fine implemented following Council approval. UAV enforcement strategy refined for Fourth of July
operations.
Code Enforcement inspectors embedded with Police UAV
teams to improve real-time coordination and evidence collection. SJ311 reporting experience improved with clearer
instructions, evidence submission, acknowledgments, and service expectations. Animal Care Services added to the Illegal Fireworks Team to strengthen outreach to the pet community.
2026 Progress & Accomplishments
12 Thursday, August 19, 2021
Continued Strategies:
Continue targeted multilingual education and advertising. Continue regional and interdepartmental coordination. Pursue State and Federal grant opportunities. Continue using SJ311 and hotspot data to target resources. Continue coordination with the District Attorney's Office regarding enhanced penalties for dangerous fireworks with fine amounts of up to $100,000 and jail time.
New Strategies: Evaluate effectiveness of the $500 spectator fine. Further refine UAV deployment and enforcement strategies based on 2026 results. Expand real-time coordination among Fire, Police, and Code Enforcement. Evaluate emerging technologies and data-driven enforcement opportunities. Use 2026 data to establish targeted priorities for 2027.
Next Steps & Updated Strategies
13 Thursday, August 20, 2026
Questions?
Greg Tuyor, Deputy Fire Chief/Fire Marshal
Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention
14 Fireworks Ordinance Work Plan Status ReportPublic Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support CommitteeAugust 20, 2026(d)3.
Thursday, August 20, 2026