CATHEDRAL CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE DEPARTMENT
FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND RECAP
REPORT PREPARED BY:
FIRE CHIEF PAUL WILSON and POLICE CHIEF GEORGE CRUM
FIRE DEPARTMENT JULY 1 - JULY 4, 2016
The Cathedral City Fire Department was dispatched to the following emergency incidents from
7:00 a.m. on July 1 through 7:00 a.m. July 5, 2016;
July 1st - 10 emergency incidents - none related to fireworks
July 2nd - 18 emergency incidents - 1 fireworks related (see summary below)
July 3rd - 15 emergency incidents - none related to fireworks
July 4th - July 5th @ 0700 hrs. - 16 emergency incidents - 1 fireworks related (see summary below)
No injuries were reported from the use of fireworks during the holiday weekend.
Summary of fireworks related incidents:
• 7/2 8:18 p.m. 67600 block of Carey Rd. - Palm tree fire - ignited by illegal aerial fireworks, fired by private party guests. No damage or loss other than burnt tree.
Palm Springs F.D. provided mutual aid to shuttle water from a remote fire hydrant.
• 7/4 2:19 p.m. 68200 block of Modalo Rd. - Grass fire in rear yard of residence.
Possibly fireworks related. No evidence found and homeowners denied usage of fireworks.
No damage or loss other than burnt grass.
POLICE DEPARTMENT JULY 4, 2016 RECAP
Cathedral City Police Department Fourth of July Weekend Recap covering calls for service from 7:00 a.m. on July 1st through 7:00 a.m. on July 5th 2016.
During the period from 7:00 a.m. on Friday, July 1st through 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 5th, the Cathedral City Communications Center received 846 calls for service with 110 of those calls being fireworks related. Community members reported 67 of the 110 fireworks calls for service, the rest were police officer initiated.
Cathedral City Police Officers physically responded to all 67 calls for service initiated by community members. Officers issued 16 criminal citations to individuals illegally possessing fireworks during the deployment period. There were a total of twenty overtime deployment shifts where officers were working fireworks enforcement detail funded by the fees collected through the “Safe and Sane Fireworks Program.” Four officers worked overtime on July 1st from 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., four officers worked on July 2nd from 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., six officers worked overtime July 3rd from 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. and six officers worked July 4th from 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
In comparison to fireworks calls at neighboring cities during the same period, the following was reported:
Desert Hot Springs had 95 Fireworks Calls for Service
Palm Springs had 31 Fireworks Calls for Service.
Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Thousand Palms have not replied to the City’s request for fireworks data. Indio did not track their fireworks call for service this year.
BENEFITS TO CATHEDRAL CITY NON-PROFITS
Six non-profit groups were issued permits to sell Safe and Sane Fireworks. They include Calvary Christian Center, Cathedral City High School Band Boosters, St. Louis Church, Calvary Bible Church, Cathedral City Youth League, Desert Elite Football, and Palm Springs Elk Lodge.
The TNT Fireworks Company estimated gross sales from five of the six groups were $204,480.
The estimated net profits for the authorized vendors were:
Calvary Bible Church $24,532
CCHS Band Boosters $16,428
St. Louis Church $12,360
Desert Elite Football Club $ 7,042
Palm Springs Elks Lodge #1905 $ 3,216
Cathedral City Youth League $ 4,874
Total Estimated Net Profits to Charities: $68,452
ENFORCEMENT COSTS COVERED BY THE PROGRAM
The City collected fees and permits of $3,191 from each of the above groups for total City revenues of $19,146.
The City fees and permits paid for additional police officers on the July 4th holiday weekend, at a cost of $10,680, four community firework safety billboards at a cost of $5,350, and four and one-half hours of fire department administrative time at a cost of $280.
Total City expenses were $19,310.
The added police personnel provided through the “Safe and Sane Fireworks Program” funding not only allowed for more enforcement measures of fireworks related activity, but it also offered a bigger police presence throughout the City during the long holiday weekend.
