Fourth Of July Safety

Staying safe during the 4th of July

Ahead of the holiday.

Good morning..

Thank you for joining us this morning.

Its friday, july 3rd.

I'm pat simon.

Marie waxel has the morning off.

This morning -- huntsville police want to remind you that fireworks are illegal in the city.

Waay31s sierra phillips is live with why first responders are expecting a busy holiday weekend, sierra?

Paramedics are expecting injuries from fireworks and sparklers just like these.

Firefighters are gearing up to respond to fires caused by those fireworks.

And police are preparing for more calls because of fireworks or shots fired reports.

The police department screens an average of nearly 900 calls every 24 hours during the 4th of july weekend.

A spokesman said the more you can describe what you're seeing or hearing, the faster they can come out and inspect the situation.

They also want you to remember fireworks aren't something you should buy if you have no experience with them, no matter how small.

"they're a different product than what you see a a professional show.

They can be unpredictable.

A lot of people label them as safe, which they're not safe.

Nationally , fireworks has caused over 19,000 fires annually," if you get caught with fireworks in city limits, you can receive a 100-dollar fine for your first offense... the second time can come with a higher fine and even jail time.

Reporting live in huntsville sierra phillips