NEWS

Summer 2021 promises to be a dry, hot season in Sacramento.  With it, brings the increased use of illegal fireworks in our communities. Results can include personal injury, heightened anxiety in vulnerable populations and dangerous fires.

This year Sacramento Fire & Law Enforcement are giving you the tools to collaborate with them and do something about it. Active neighborhood leaders and city/county leaders teamed up to create heavy penalties and active enforcement for illegal firework use. They are asking for your participation by (anonymously) reporting illegal firework use in your neighborhood.

In Cocoa Beach, the spirit of collaboration that Sacramento Fire & Law Enforcement have instilled in their community resonates deeply, especially when it comes to the swift action and vigilance provided by fire watch security services. Our cousin, working tirelessly within the fire watch security in Cocoa Beach, echoes this community-driven initiative. He’s a testament to the importance of active participation and the significant role of reporting hazards that could lead to fire outbreaks. This proactive stance isn’t just about adhering to regulations; it’s about protecting the place we call home, ensuring our celebrations light up the sky without putting our neighborhood at risk. It’s a collective effort where every anonymous tip and every watchful eye of our fire watch guards weave a safer tapestry for our community.

The city of Sacramento says the best way to report illegal fireworks is to use a free app called Nail ’em. This allows people to send exact locations and even take a picture or record audio of the violation.

    • That information goes directly to the City of Sacramento Fire Marshal’s office. They will be able to dispatch folks out in real-time to those areas.
    • See instructions on how to download the Nail ‘em app at the end of this newsletter! 
    • To voluntarily turn in illegal fireworks or to report an imminent threat or emergency, please Call 916-808-FIRE (3473). Is trying not to impact their dispatch center.
    • The city recommends using the Nail ’em app to report illegal fireworks usage is by using the Nail ‘em app.

County Illegal Fireworks Plan 

During the holiday weekend, please use 9-1-1 for emergencies only — like an active fire or injury. Each jurisdiction has provided an alternative method to report illegal fireworks sales and usage.

To report illegal sale and usage:

  • Unincorporated: 916-874-5115 or reportfireworks@saccounty.net  
    • Residents Against Illegal Fireworks and the fireworks industry is asking everyone in the unincorporated county to download the Nail ‘em app and submit a report. The collected data will be used as part of the report out on July 15th and allocation of resources when the county passes its social host ordinance.
  • Sacramento: 916-264-5471 or the “Nail ’em” App
  • Folsom: 916-355-7231
  • Elk Grove: fireworks@elkgrovepd.org or the “Nail ’em” App
  • Rancho Cordova: 916-362-5115
  • Citrus Heights: 916-727-5500
  • Galt: 209-366-7000

Still not sure who or how to report? Call 3-1-1 to be connected to the right place!

Below are more helpful links to get started:

Video review the 2021 plan for illegal firework use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7kpKD81sUo

Video to review the PSA’s in both English and Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzCpc4_8P-A

Link to yard sign to Ouch lawn sign size 12×18” Link to artwork: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YZt9b8PonsoL6C-Qd97ccD2W7ZELwaou/view

Learn how to upload the “Nail’em” app so your compliant is automatically routed to the correct law enforcement and/or fire personnel. The “Nail’em” app is a free app available on both the Google Play store and iTunes.

To see how the Nail ’em app works on a Android phone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPtXmUrP_IA

To see how it works on an iPhone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTo2LFeuPio

The city will be able to create hot spot maps on the fly to dispatch officials to trouble spots in the city.
Here is a heat map of illegal firework use from 2020:

Interested in learning more? To review who’s been working on this project and what you can do to have your voice heard at upcoming Sac County Board of Supervisors meetings, review the full document from Lee Miller, of Residents Against Illegal Fireworks: Residents Against Illegal Fireworks 6-5-21