Need to report illegal firework usage in Fresno? Do this instead of calling 911

Ahead of Independence Day, the Fresno Fire Department is urging people to use fireworks safely — and people are encouraged to report illegal firework usage through an app rather than by calling 911.

Fresno Fire Department spokesperson Josh Sellers said that with the Fourth of July being the busiest night of the year, reporting illegal firework usage through other means than calling 911 is a huge help.

“We want to encourage everyone to use the technology that’s available this year through the City of Fresno by using the FresGO app, going to Fresno.gov or calling 311,” Sellers said.

Calling 911 to report fireworks ties up communication lines, resulting in people who are trying to report medical emergencies potentially not getting immediate assistance.

The app launched last year to help alleviate the call strain that comes with Independence Day.

“Talking with the dispatch and communications center, the call volume that they had seen in years prior was overwhelming to the point that folks trying to call 911 to report an emergency were actually getting busy signals and unable to get through. That’s the worst thing that we can imagine happening,” Sellers said.

People should still call 911 to report fires, injuries and other emergencies, Sellers said.

On the FresGO app, there’s a link to report illegal firework usage. On the City of Fresno website, people can report firework usage by navigating to the FresGO icon, creating a service request and clicking the banner at the top of the screen.

You can access the link here.