The Northwest Voice

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With the Fourth of July holiday upon us, the Fireworks Task Force encourages families celebrating with fireworks to be safe and responsible to eliminate injuries and any incidents of fire.

The Kern County Fire Department’s Arson Investigations Unit along with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office operates the Fireworks Task Force through July 3, 4, and 5. The Task Force assigns nine teams over the three days, increasing to 18 teams on July 4, consisting of one firefighter and one sheriff’s deputy to administer citations to those possessing illegal fireworks and/or using fireworks outside of the permissible period of use.

The fine for a citation issued for using illegal fireworks totals $1,500 and a fine for using fireworks outside of the time allowed is $500.

The manpower for this task force is paid with  fines accrued from such citations. The Fireworks Task Force will have a hotline in operation on July 3, 4 and 5. The number is  868-6070.

For more information on fireworks safety, log on to: www.fireworksafety.com.