Are Your Neighbors Blowing the Block Up This Week? Here's How to Discretely Report Them to the Authorities.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
There's so much for us to be kind of paying
close attention to in one of these things, and I'm
always a little bit interested in I moved here, moved in.
It's close getting closer to two years ago. Now I
started this job over two years ago, but when I
moved into my house, it was well passed, you know,
kind of summertime, and the fireworks season last year was
the first time I really was like, wow, there's a
(00:21):
lot of fireworks getting lit off fun in my neighborhood.
Didn't really know all the rules. So I figured it
was important for us to chat about that today as
we notice it and maybe people are looking to participate
in some way. And that's why I have Executive Deputy
Chief of Police for the Omaha Police Department, Scott Gray,
is on our phone line today. Executive Deputy Chief, thank
you so much for being on the show today.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, happy to join you.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Okay. So I think is one on one and maybe
this is too elementary of a question for some people,
but I think there's a lot of people out there
that are just kind of maybe confused or not exactly
sure of the fireworks related rules that are in place
here in the Omaha area. So what does the law
state about when people can fire them off? And you
(01:04):
know how late they can fire them off? As far
as the Omaha City regulations.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Sure, so fireworks sales started last Saturday on the twenty eighth,
and we'll run through the fourth. They can legally discharge
fireworks starting Tomorrow, July second, and do so through the
fourth between the hours of noon and eleven.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Pm eleven pm. So, with that being said, that seems
to be pretty reasonable. Many people would think, I, for one,
know that some of my neighbors have been firing them
off for weeks already, just kind of randomly, not necessarily
a whole lot of time, but for fireworks related stuff
in town, you know, we have this window design so
(01:48):
people can kind of have an understanding and an expectation
of when they're going to be fired off. Do you
guys respond to a lot of fireworks related calls outside
of that window of you know, kind of the week
leading up to Independence Day?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
We do. We do tend to get complaints starting to
be generated in the days leading up to the fourth
and outside of that window that you reference there, And
that is one of the messages we try to get
across is be respectful of others in the community, their pets,
the hours that you're allowed to discharge the fireworks, because
(02:25):
it does sometimes go beyond eleven PM. That is a
criminal law violation. And we do have officers out there
that are assigned solely to fireworks and forcement during this period.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Interesting, we're speaking with Omaha Police Departments Executive Deputy Chief
of Police Scott Gray here. So, with as many people
as I'm sure are calling in, especially this week about
these related issues, do you respond to all of them? Because,
like you mentioned, there could be situations where people are
just kind of annoyed by them, but it still falls
(02:58):
under a legal window of time. There's no you know,
specific space that you just can't have them in neighborhoods. Right, So,
when people are thinking about calling in a complaint, is
there certain parameters or protocols that they need to go
through to make sure that it's a call that the
police are actually able to enforce something or to tell
someone that you know, what they're doing is wrong.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, if they're seeing what might be troubling behaviors, maybe
a destruction of property that's tied to the fireworks use,
maybe the age of the people that are discharging the fireworks.
To comply with the city ordinance, you have to be
sixteen or older, and except you can be between twelve
(03:40):
and sixteen if there's someone nineteen or older with you
while you're lighting off those fireworks. So, if there's concerns
about safety, particularly of children, if there's a disturbance over
the use of the fireworks, those are things that would
get a maybe an expedited response from police.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Is there a number that people should call or depending
on the situation, would nine to one one be something
that's a bit too extreme? You don't want to be
hogging that line for fireworks related issues. How should people
reach the police department if they are feeling like they
need to make a phone call.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Well, they could certainly call nine to one one, and
those calls will be triaged and dispatched accordingly. The nine
to one one dispatchers know how to sign them the
proper priority, so that offers are either responding in a
more expedited fashion or maybe it's a call that can
wait a little bit longer for response.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Okay, so that makes a lot of sense. Executive Deputy
Chief of Police Scott Gray joining us from the Omaha
Police Department to talk about fireworks and firework related rules.
So when people are firing off fireworks, So this is
a question that I was kind of having. You know,
if I went to like say, the park, and I
saw people firing off things in like a public space
maybe like an elmwood or or a place like that,
(05:01):
is that legal or is that allowed? Or does it
have to be on someone's own private property for them
to be able to legally fire off fireworks?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yeah, it typically has to be on private property. There
are various rules about fireworks that pertain to the parts.
So if those kinds of activities are being observed, they
should call call us at either nine to one one
or we do have a non emergency number four zero
two four four four five eight zero two. If it's
(05:29):
kind of just a standard you know, you're getting annoyed
with the level of fireworks in your area.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
That's a I think really good information to have that
non emergency line as well. I was looking at kind
of the schedule here in all the giant, big, you know,
fireworks shows at Omaha is a pretty large space, so
there's plenty of them in different pockets of neighborhoods. On
July thirty, and fourth and going into the weekend as well.
(06:00):
You mentioned that they're legal to be sold up until
the fourth of July, but it always feels like there's
a few days of trickle for people to fire off
their own kind of personal fireworks or personal shows or
whatever that they'll have, you know, on the fifth or
the sixth. Is that also, you know, something that people
can you know, we just kind of have to deal
(06:20):
with if they're in the proper windows of time and
they're taking place, you know, before eleven PM, or if
somebody is really like firing off you know, thousands of
dollars worth of fireworks over and over and over again.
Is that something that could be grounds for like a
noise complaint or something that the police department could respond to.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Well, if it's occurring inside the city limits and it's
past eleven PM on July fourth, So if it is
on the fifth or sixth, those are all criminal law
violations that we can act on. I mean, just got
people have to remember depending on where you live, if
you're in the in the county, those rules don't apply.
This is just a city ordnance for inside the city limits,
(06:58):
all right.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
That is great to clarify that as well Executive Deputy
Chief of Police Scott Gray from the Omaha Police Department.
This is all such great information. Really do appreciate the
time today and good luck with you guys. I'm sure
you guys are going to be busy the next few days.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Thank you, appreciate it all.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Right, big thanks to Scott Gray, the Executive Deputy Chief
of Police of the Omaha Police Department, helping us out
with that. Today it's three point fifteen. We can talk
about America because I think America's worth talking about. Had
another observation that I wanted to share on what I'm
calling America Week, and we'll talk about it next on
news radio eleven ten KFAB.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Emri Sunger on news radio eleven ten kfab
There's so much for us to be kind of paying
close attention to in one of these things, and I'm
always a little bit interested in I moved here, moved in.
It's close getting closer to two years ago. Now I
started this job over two years ago, but when I
moved into my house, it was well passed, you know,
kind of summertime, and the fireworks season last year was
the first time I really was like, wow, there's a
(00:21):
lot of fireworks getting lit off fun in my neighborhood.
Didn't really know all the rules. So I figured it
was important for us to chat about that today as
we notice it and maybe people are looking to participate
in some way. And that's why I have Executive Deputy
Chief of Police for the Omaha Police Department, Scott Gray,
is on our phone line today. Executive Deputy Chief, thank
you so much for being on the show today.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah, happy to join you.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Okay. So I think is one on one and maybe
this is too elementary of a question for some people,
but I think there's a lot of people out there
that are just kind of maybe confused or not exactly
sure of the fireworks related rules that are in place
here in the Omaha area. So what does the law
state about when people can fire them off? And you
(01:04):
know how late they can fire them off? As far
as the Omaha City regulations.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Sure, so fireworks sales started last Saturday on the twenty eighth,
and we'll run through the fourth. They can legally discharge
fireworks starting Tomorrow, July second, and do so through the
fourth between the hours of noon and eleven.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Pm eleven pm. So, with that being said, that seems
to be pretty reasonable. Many people would think, I, for one,
know that some of my neighbors have been firing them
off for weeks already, just kind of randomly, not necessarily
a whole lot of time, but for fireworks related stuff
in town, you know, we have this window design so
(01:48):
people can kind of have an understanding and an expectation
of when they're going to be fired off. Do you
guys respond to a lot of fireworks related calls outside
of that window of you know, kind of the week
leading up to Independence Day?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
We do. We do tend to get complaints starting to
be generated in the days leading up to the fourth
and outside of that window that you reference there, And
that is one of the messages we try to get
across is be respectful of others in the community, their pets,
the hours that you're allowed to discharge the fireworks, because
(02:25):
it does sometimes go beyond eleven PM. That is a
criminal law violation. And we do have officers out there
that are assigned solely to fireworks and forcement during this period.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Interesting, we're speaking with Omaha Police Departments Executive Deputy Chief
of Police Scott Gray here. So, with as many people
as I'm sure are calling in, especially this week about
these related issues, do you respond to all of them? Because,
like you mentioned, there could be situations where people are
just kind of annoyed by them, but it still falls
(02:58):
under a legal window of time. There's no you know,
specific space that you just can't have them in neighborhoods. Right, So,
when people are thinking about calling in a complaint, is
there certain parameters or protocols that they need to go
through to make sure that it's a call that the
police are actually able to enforce something or to tell
someone that you know, what they're doing is wrong.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, if they're seeing what might be troubling behaviors, maybe
a destruction of property that's tied to the fireworks use,
maybe the age of the people that are discharging the fireworks.
To comply with the city ordinance, you have to be
sixteen or older, and except you can be between twelve
(03:40):
and sixteen if there's someone nineteen or older with you
while you're lighting off those fireworks. So, if there's concerns
about safety, particularly of children, if there's a disturbance over
the use of the fireworks, those are things that would
get a maybe an expedited response from police.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Is there a number that people should call or depending
on the situation, would nine to one one be something
that's a bit too extreme? You don't want to be
hogging that line for fireworks related issues. How should people
reach the police department if they are feeling like they
need to make a phone call.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
Well, they could certainly call nine to one one, and
those calls will be triaged and dispatched accordingly. The nine
to one one dispatchers know how to sign them the
proper priority, so that offers are either responding in a
more expedited fashion or maybe it's a call that can
wait a little bit longer for response.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Okay, so that makes a lot of sense. Executive Deputy
Chief of Police Scott Gray joining us from the Omaha
Police Department to talk about fireworks and firework related rules.
So when people are firing off fireworks, So this is
a question that I was kind of having. You know,
if I went to like say, the park, and I
saw people firing off things in like a public space
maybe like an elmwood or or a place like that,
(05:01):
is that legal or is that allowed? Or does it
have to be on someone's own private property for them
to be able to legally fire off fireworks?
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Yeah, it typically has to be on private property. There
are various rules about fireworks that pertain to the parts.
So if those kinds of activities are being observed, they
should call call us at either nine to one one
or we do have a non emergency number four zero
two four four four five eight zero two. If it's
(05:29):
kind of just a standard you know, you're getting annoyed
with the level of fireworks in your area.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
That's a I think really good information to have that
non emergency line as well. I was looking at kind
of the schedule here in all the giant, big, you know,
fireworks shows at Omaha is a pretty large space, so
there's plenty of them in different pockets of neighborhoods. On
July thirty, and fourth and going into the weekend as well.
(06:00):
You mentioned that they're legal to be sold up until
the fourth of July, but it always feels like there's
a few days of trickle for people to fire off
their own kind of personal fireworks or personal shows or
whatever that they'll have, you know, on the fifth or
the sixth. Is that also, you know, something that people
can you know, we just kind of have to deal
(06:20):
with if they're in the proper windows of time and
they're taking place, you know, before eleven PM, or if
somebody is really like firing off you know, thousands of
dollars worth of fireworks over and over and over again.
Is that something that could be grounds for like a
noise complaint or something that the police department could respond to.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Well, if it's occurring inside the city limits and it's
past eleven PM on July fourth, So if it is
on the fifth or sixth, those are all criminal law
violations that we can act on. I mean, just got
people have to remember depending on where you live, if
you're in the in the county, those rules don't apply.
This is just a city ordnance for inside the city limits,
(06:58):
all right.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
That is great to clarify that as well Executive Deputy
Chief of Police Scott Gray from the Omaha Police Department.
This is all such great information. Really do appreciate the
time today and good luck with you guys. I'm sure
you guys are going to be busy the next few days.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Thank you, appreciate it all.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Right, big thanks to Scott Gray, the Executive Deputy Chief
of Police of the Omaha Police Department, helping us out
with that. Today it's three point fifteen. We can talk
about America because I think America's worth talking about. Had
another observation that I wanted to share on what I'm
calling America Week, and we'll talk about it next on
news radio eleven ten KFAB.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Emri Sunger on news radio eleven ten kfab
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