PRESS RELEASE

The City of Long Beach is launching a comprehensive fireworks education campaign to promote a safe and festive environment citywide ahead of the Fourth of July. The “Celebrate Safely” campaign will provide education about the hazards of home-based fireworks, even those labeled ‘Safe and Sane,’ while also providing suggestions for safe ways to celebrate the holiday.

“A really exciting new component to the campaign this year is that we are working hard to reach not only adults, but kids,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “We know that children are receptive to safety messages, resulting in a lifetime of positive behavior, and they can also influence the behavior of the adults in their lives.”

The City of Long Beach wants everyone to enjoy the holidays. To keep the City’s residents and visitors safe, only permitted professional fireworks shows are allowed. All personal fireworks, even those deemed “safe and sane,” are illegal in Long Beach. Professional firework shows take place throughout the region, and people can watch two professional shows in Long Beach:

• July 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Big Bang on the Bay showcases fireworks over the Alamitos Bay Marina, and can be see from Boathouse on the Bay, Alamitos Bay beaches and the Peninsula area of Long Beach.
• July 4 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. – The Queen Mary’s “All-American” 4th of July event includes live entertainment, family games, arts and crafts, special historic tours ,a patriotic movie and more. A fireworks display will commence in the evening and can be seen from the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific and Shoreline Aquatic Park.

Here are other ways to celebrate safety:

• Have a fireworks-free BBQ
• Take a trip to a State or National Park
• Spend the day at the beach
• Connect with neighbors with a permitted block party
• Host a movie marathon
• Go for a bike ride
• Have a water-balloon fight
• Enjoy a picnic in the park
• Have a dance party with glow sticks or fiber optic wands

The City’s new fireworks campaign and messaging will be provided to the community across many City departments, and a new central webpage, www.longbeach.gov/fireworks, has been developed to provide information and resources regarding fireworks throughout the year. Although the campaign focuses primarily on the 4th of July, it is designed to provide safety messages for several holidays where fireworks are often illegally used in Long Beach. The campaign was developed to reach residents throughout the city, through multiple touchpoints, including: web, social media, printed materials, outdoor signage and in-person face-to-face conversations with residents and business owners. “Celebrate Safely” coloring and activity sheets for young kids will also be disseminated as a fun way for kids to learn about fireworks safety with their peers and family.

Amateur fireworks, including sparklers, cause tens of millions of dollars annually in property damage, and result in many injuries, the majority of which are suffered by children. Fireworks set off in residential neighborhoods, particularly those that the neighborhood isn’t anticipating, can trigger flashbacks for veterans and gun violence survivors experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The noise also creates panic for many animals, and shelters fill with runaway pets every year. The Celebrate Safely campaign advocates for alternative activities, such as having a barbeque, visiting a State or National Park, hosting a movie marathon or visiting a professional fireworks show. Several components of the campaign will be available in languages other than English, such as Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog.

The community is encouraged to call Long Beach Police Department to report dangerous or illegal activities. Anyone cited or arrested for fireworks violations may be faced with a $1,000 fine, sentenced to jail for six months, or both. Every call matters. For non-emergency calls, please dial (562) 435-6711. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1. All calls for service provide data to the City that is helpful in communicating safety messages to the community every year.

About the City of Long Beach

Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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