By Kathy Chouteau
Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire) is making it easier than ever for residents to report illegal fireworks use with the rollout of a countywide toll-free hotline: 1-833-885-2021.
By calling the hotline, residents will be quickly connected to the law enforcement number for their location simply by entering the first three letters of their city’s name. Those in “unincorporated areas” can also type that in as a location, which will connect them to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.
The “use of fireworks of any type is illegal in Contra Costa County and exceedingly dangerous during current drought conditions,” said Con Fire officials in a statement that urged residents to use the hotline to report the use of illegal fireworks.
Con Fire’s Fire Investigation Unit is also asking residents to report fireworks sales countywide via its Arson Tip Line at 1-866-50-ARSON “to help them fight the dangerous use of illegal fireworks.” Officials added that even seemingly minor tips can be helpful as “some of the most valuable tips come from residents who were not aware what they saw was very important to the investigation of an incident.”
At the aforementioned Arson Tip Line, residents can leave a recorded message about fireworks sales, or other fire-related criminal activity in English/Spanish. Officials said that tips can be anonymous and that all tips are treated confidentially. However, “fire investigators sometimes need additional information, so inclusion of name and phone number is encouraged.”
For more info, visit Con Fire online.
