COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Bradley Dandridge, Fire Chief
DATE: August 4, 2026
SUBJECT: Presentation – Fireworks Education and Enforcement
The City Council will receive a presentation on the Fire Department responses and fireworks enforcement efforts for July 4, 2026.
BACKGROUND:
Only Safe and Sane fireworks may be used within the City Limits between the 12-hour period of 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on the Fourth of July. The enforcement penalty is a $1,000 fine for each citation. Like many cities, Santa Maria experiences rampant use of illegal fireworks. Last year 119 citations were issued. The intent is to discourage the use of illegal fireworks, allowing the community to safely celebrate the nation’s birthday.
DISCUSSION:
Education:
The City conducted its annual widespread and bilingual fireworks education campaign.
The focus was safety ; be mindful of your neighbors, veterans, and pets. Bilingual messages were placed on social media, local radio stations, City government access TV Comcast Channel 23, posters aboard buses and in City offices, the city website, and through the local news media. The Fire Chief spoke in English and Spanish in two public service announcements that also were distributed to KEYT/TELEMUNDO and KSBY. All City-permitted Safe and Sane fireworks booths were required to include one of the City’s fireworks fliers in each bag of pyrotechnics purchased; the city printed 15,000 of these bilingual fliers. Yard signs reading “Celebrate July 4th Neighborly, Noise Sensitive Resident Lives Here, Be Courteous to Your Neighbors” were again freely available at City Hall for City residents. Staff coordinated messaging with County animal services to inform pet owners how to care for their animals. The fireworks hotline (805) 925-0951 extension 3473 (FIRE) was monitored by the Police Department.
Enforcement:
The Fireworks Enforcement Operation for 202 6 commenced with Police Officers monitoring social media for fireworks sales and Santa Maria Fire Investigators and Police patrolled responded to reports of illegal firework activity. Police Officers and Fire Investigators deployed for fireworks enforcement from July 2nd to July 5th. The City again contracted an aircraft equipped with GPS and video to fly over the City on the Fourth of 2 July to immediately and geographically locate any launches of illegal fireworks, enabling authorities to issue citations to the property owner(s).
Fiscal Considerations:
To date approxim ately $10,000 was expended on the illegal fireworks enforcement campaign.
Impact to the Community:
The City strives to balance the demands of people opposed to illegal fireworks, available public safety resources and the demands of competing calls for se rvice, and the City’s longstanding tradition of allowing sales of legal “Safe and Sane” fireworks. Staff recognize the trauma suffered by noise-sensitive residents as well as panicked pets from fireworks.
In 2015, Council approved staff’s recommendations t o create third -party administrative citations, undertake a comprehensive education campaign, increase fees for fireworks booths to cover costs for staff regulatory oversight and cleanup of fireworks. This included an increased penalty for the use of illegal fireworks to $1,000.