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July 4 has historically been the busiest night of the year for emergency responders, with fireworks often leading to fires, injuries, and, tragically, even deaths. In 2022, the City of Portland banned personal fireworks to reduce these risks. Still, the Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC/911) continues to be inundated with fireworks-related calls—many of which are non-life-threatening and do not require immediate emergency response.
To help address the high call volume and ensure community voices are heard, public safety partners from BOEC, the Portland Police Bureau, Portland Fire & Rescue, and PDX 311 came together to create a more efficient solution. The result: a user-friendly online reporting tool for illegal fireworks.
This tool allows community members to easily report fireworks activity online. It features interactive mapping technology to help pinpoint locations, and prompts users to describe what they saw or heard. Crucially, the form asks whether the incident involves a life-threatening emergency—ensuring that true emergencies are routed immediately to 911 dispatchers.
Fireworks reporting can be tricky, especially when the reporter hears fireworks but can't identify the exact location.
The form was designed with that in mind: users can submit a report even if they can only provide a general area. Thanks to the tremendous expertise of the PDX 311 team in designing accessible, intuitive, and people-first reporting tools, the form includes conditional logic and helpful prompts to guide users through the process.
Reporters can drop a pin on a map, enter an address, or describe landmarks or intersections. Sample reports included details like:
- “It’s between Glisan and Burnside within the boundaries of 157th and 167th.”
- “Could not pinpoint the house but very close to the intersection of Fenwick and Interstate.”
On July 4, 311 staff—who typically observe the federal holiday—opened specially to assist the community with fireworks reports. The program fielded 600 calls that day, including 120 related to fireworks. The online reporting form itself received an incredible 4,590 submissions during the fireworks season. This data has already proven invaluable in tracking problem areas and informing future public education and enforcement strategies.
Most importantly, the new reporting process helped reduce 911 call volume by 13% compared to the previous year. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a real-world impact that helps ensure faster emergency response for those who truly need it. In fact, the average 911 wait time on July 4 dropped from 26 seconds in 2024 to just 8 seconds in 2025.
Thanks to this collaborative effort and the exceptional service of the PDX 311 team, Portland took a major step toward a safer, more responsive Independence Day.
Fireworks Reporting Hot Spot Map
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