Before it’s too late, let’s bolster local enforcement against illegal fireworks

As we approach Independence Day, the Kern County grand jury is calling for a stronger illegal fireworks response. That’s no surprise. Every Fourth of July, the sky above metropolitan Bakersfield lights up with illegal fireworks that cause personal and property harm.

People are burned by the illegal aerial explosives they set off. Bystanders are injured. Homes and other buildings are burned — some destroyed — as firefighters scramble from one emergency response to another.

“The Kern County Fire Department works with other law enforcement agencies to help curb the use of illegal fireworks,” the grand jury noted in its recent report. “But the problem cannot be eliminated easily.”

That’s not good enough. Kern County and Bakersfield fire departments and law enforcement agencies must do more than coordinate their responses. The agencies must create a Fourth of July joint task force, with a clear chain of command. It must be authorized to effectively, quickly and seamlessly respond to all illegal fireworks reports. Regardless of the color of their uniforms, or badges they wear, officers must be authorized to respond to reports of illegal fireworks use and hold perpetrators accountable.

Whether the laws are broken within the city’s boundaries, or in the many unincorporated county islands that weave in and out of the city, officers should be authorized to respond. Laws that are broken in either jurisdiction must carry the same penalties. What is needed:

■ The same fireworks use and sales rules must be adopted within the city’s boundaries and within the unincorporated county islands. For example, county and city rules differ on the types of “safe and sane” fireworks that are allowed to be used. The county allows Piccolo Petes and Ground Blooms, while the city bans their use. This causes public confusion.

■ Adopt consistent penalties for violations, whether they occur within the county or city jurisdictions.

■ Create a joint administrative panel to adjudicate violations consistently within the city and county.

■ City and county elected officials must equally support enforcement of the fireworks laws.

■ The use of technology — particularly drones — must be increased to detect illegal fireworks and arrest perpetrators.

The grand jury recommended the Kern County Board of Supervisors authorize a study to determine the county fire department’s need for more money to purchase drones to track illegal use of fireworks.

The county has a contract with Overwatch Aero LLC, a Solvang-based company that provides a fleet of long-endurance, unmanned aerial systems to support emergency responders, as well as nongovernmental and commercial operations. That contract must continue at least through the Fourth of July holiday.

Drones can provide aerial views that help pinpoint a location where illegal fireworks are shot into the air. The location can be matched to a parcel map and the property owner identified. The owner of the residence can be held liable for the violation, even if the owner did not ignite the explosive.

Grand jurors noted that citizens play a large role in curbing the illegal use of fireworks. The campaign to alert the public to the dangers of illegal fireworks and how to report their use should be expanded. The YouLightItWeWriteIt. com website contains sales and use information, as well as a link to an online form to report illegal activity.

Illegal use of fireworks is not a benign, once-a-year event. It is a potentially life-altering — even fatal — criminal act that must be stopped.