Fort Worth neighborhood, public safety agencies campaign for 'less explosive' July 4th
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) — Fort Worth has started staffing its emergency operations center ahead of thousands of fireworks complaint reports expected over the next two days.
The city will have 14 task force crews, pairing arson investigators with police officers. They will monitor regular problem spots for activity as well as respond to potential large problems as they come in.
In 2022 offices wrote 35 citations city-wide for possession or use of fireworks in city limits, and seized 40 pounds of products that were later destroyed.
The city will not be enforcing its fireworks ordinance this year however using its system of cameras.
The idea was used for the first time in 2022, with investigators able to see a violation happening, then use other available evidence like license plates, addresses or complaint calls to mail out citations to potential violators.
Thirty-seven violations were issued, with most of them just for possessing fireworks within city limits.
The Fire Department was not able to explain exactly why the idea was abandoned. City council member Gyna Bivens, who has strongly encouraged enforcement of fireworks ordinances, compared it to the problems with red light cameras, which were often challenged for targeting license plates and not drivers.
On the east side of the city, some residents are not relying only on public safety agencies to enforce the rules.
Bright yellow signs, simply stating the fireworks are illegal, dot medians and front yards in the Historic Carver Heights, Meadowbrook and Handley neighborhoods. Neighbors pooled their money to buy more than 50 of the signs.
"I just think the police department and fire department needed some citizens to help and stand behind them and bring some ideas to the table," said Torchy White, who contributed to the effort.
She said she's tired of sitting on her front porch with a hose most holidays, worried about something landing on her roof.
"You shouldn't have to do that," she said. "You should have to live that way."
