Title
Fireworks Safety Task Force Update
Description
This report provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee with information on the City of Phoenix Fireworks Safety Task Force and programs.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
In response to a significant increase in fireworks-related complaints received by Mayor and City Council offices, as well as a surge in emergency calls to the Police and Fire departments during the July 4th and New Years holidays, the City Manager’s Office established the Firework Safety Task Force. The Task Force is dedicated to reducing or eliminating the use of illegal fireworks within Phoenix city limits and includes staff from the City Manager’s Office, Communications Office, Prosecutor’s Office, as well as, the Police, Fire, Law, Neighborhood Services, and Parks and Recreation departments.
Over the past year, the Task Force implemented new enhancements to address the sale and use of illegal fireworks through education, targeted outreach, and strengthened enforcement. Fire Prevention staff partnered with distributors to expand vendor inspections, conducting more than 600 point-of-sale checks at stores and tents selling consumer fireworks. This included 176 unannounced inspections at newly identified locations that would not have been inspected otherwise. Additionally, newly implemented post-holiday inspections ensured that products were removed once the allowable sales periods had ended. Police Community Action Officers conducted data-driven outreach in neighborhoods with historically high call volumes to educate residents on fireworks laws and associated hazards. Through the July 4th and New Year holiday seasons, each Police precinct deployed a dedicated two-officer unit focused on fireworks enforcement. The City also implemented enhanced communications plans that ran from early June through early July and early December through early January 2026.
Communication Plan
The “Celebrate Safely” campaign was a coordinated, multimedia and bilingual public education effort designed to raise awareness about fireworks safety and legalities while reducing the risks of fire and injury. Key safety messages included the use of legal ground-based fireworks only, proper disposal of spent fireworks, maintaining adequate safety distances, attending professional displays instead of using consumer fireworks, reporting illegal activity, the dangers consumer fireworks pose for our air quality, and protecting vulnerable populations and pets from noise trauma. Messaging was delivered through social media, billboards, citywide channels, and partnerships with organizations such as the Maricopa Association of Governments, Arizona Burn Foundation and the Humane Society.
Campaign performance was tracked using analytics tools which showed social media efforts generated nearly 2 million impressions across 180 posts. Public sentiment analysis revealed that the community’s reception toward the messaging was generally positive and provided recommendations for future improvements. A media event and distribution of printed materials, both in English and Spanish, further extended outreach.
Public Safety Outreach and Emergency Response
The Phoenix Police Department combined targeted community outreach with focused enforcement to reduce illegal firework activity and associated hazards. In the days leading up to July 4, Community Action Officers visited neighborhoods with high historical call volumes to provide residents with clear information about fireworks laws, safety risks, and reporting procedures. CommunityConnect supported these efforts by automatically sending callers links to firework safety information, helping residents understand legal limitations. Each precinct reinforced this work through its own educational initiatives.
From July 3 through the morning of July 5, each precinct deployed a dedicated two-officer team focused exclusively on fireworks enforcement. Dispatch supported operations with a specialized radio code for fireworks, improving coordination and response efficiency. All patrol officers received an employee notification system message containing a training video, enforcement guidance, and a legal bulletin developed in collaboration with the City Prosecutor’s Office.
Leading up to the New Year’s holiday, the Phoenix Police Department continued its focused education and enforcement on fireworks while adding a focus on celebratory gunfire. Community Action Officers and Neighborhood Enforcement Teams target areas with high call volume and community events to educate the public. During New Year’s Eve, the Phoenix Police Department utilized maximum staffing to support these efforts. Additionally, social media was used to disseminate a multi-jurisdictional message about the dangers of celebratory gunfire.
These combined efforts resulted in two arrests for celebratory gunfire and several ongoing investigations targeting celebratory gunfire.
The Phoenix Fire Department’s emergency response efforts emphasized reducing fire and injury risks through proactive inspections, community risk-reduction initiatives, and close coordination with partner agencies. These strategies have produced measurable improvements, including a 49 percent reduction in fireworks-related calls to the Fire Department over the past two years on the Fourth of July and a 44 percent reduction on New Year’s.
What’s Next: Preparing for 2026
The Task Force’s next steps for 2026 focus on continued coordination, refining operations, and preparing for responses to both fireworks and celebratory gunfire. Interdepartmental planning meetings will continue to ensure alignment on staffing, enforcement priorities, and public messaging. The Task Force is reassessing operational plans based on lessons learned in 2025, strengthening regional collaboration with the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and other partners, and expanding public education on fireworks safety and Shannon’s Law.
These additional efforts will also focus on the adverse impact that illegal fireworks have on air quality. According to a MAG Regional Council report, in January 2025, MAG staff presented an air quality update which stated that "on January 1, 2025, the Maricopa region, specifically the West Phoenix monitor, had the worst 24-hour fine particulate matter (PM-2.5) concentration in the nation, and the third worst in the world." This high level of particulate matter contributes to negative health impacts throughout the community. As a result, the City's Task Force is coordinating with MAG and other regional partners on these issues.
The Task Force will continue its work into the summer, evaluating enforcement needs, improving communications strategies, and exploring the development of proposed City Code updates to further enhance public safety.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Fire, Police, and Law departments and Communications Office.