Sacramento Regional Fire is preparing for a busy Fourth of July weekend, expecting a surge in 911 calls as the holiday coincides with America’s 250th birthday and falls on a Saturday. Supervising dispatcher Elizabeth Strong, who has been answering 911 calls for over 20 years, reflected on her experience. “The best part of my job is my coworkers. Working with them has been the highlight of my life. They make me who I am,” Strong said. “We’re like family.” Dispatchers are bracing for more than 1,000 calls on Saturday night alone, with additional staff on hand to manage the increased volume. Strong highlighted the challenges the team will face. “The Fourth of July is a big deal. Their nightshift is probably not going to be able to leave their desk for several hours,” she said. Marissa Shmatovich, deputy director of administration for Sacramento Regional Fire, described the holiday as their busiest day of the year. “Not only because it’s the 250th anniversary, but also because it’s a Saturday. We expect to see more activity between fireworks, house burns, vegetation fires, as well as the medical things that come in conjunction with those things,” Shmatovich said. The Sacramento Fire Department will also address the expected rise in illegal fireworks, will deploy drones for enforcement. “We’ll be in full enforcement. They’re in undisclosed locations. All we can say is one is in the North area, one is in the South area, and that’s subject to change upon firework behavior,” said Capt. Justin Sylvia of the Sacramento Fire Department. Fines for illegal fireworks in Sacramento are now set at $10,000 per firework. That charge can also rise depending on where the firework was set off.Sacramento Regional Fire is also actively seeking to hire more dispatchers to meet the growing demand. You can find more here: https://srfecc.ca.gov/careersSee more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google

Sacramento Regional Fire is preparing for a busy Fourth of July weekend, expecting a surge in 911 calls as the holiday coincides with America’s 250th birthday and falls on a Saturday.

Supervising dispatcher Elizabeth Strong, who has been answering 911 calls for over 20 years, reflected on her experience.

“The best part of my job is my coworkers. Working with them has been the highlight of my life. They make me who I am,” Strong said. “We’re like family.”

Dispatchers are bracing for more than 1,000 calls on Saturday night alone, with additional staff on hand to manage the increased volume. Strong highlighted the challenges the team will face.

“The Fourth of July is a big deal. Their nightshift is probably not going to be able to leave their desk for several hours,” she said.

Marissa Shmatovich, deputy director of administration for Sacramento Regional Fire, described the holiday as their busiest day of the year.

“Not only because it’s the 250th anniversary, but also because it’s a Saturday. We expect to see more activity between fireworks, house burns, vegetation fires, as well as the medical things that come in conjunction with those things,” Shmatovich said.

The Sacramento Fire Department will also address the expected rise in illegal fireworks, will deploy drones for enforcement.

“We’ll be in full enforcement. They’re in undisclosed locations. All we can say is one is in the North area, [and] one is in the South area, and that’s subject to change upon firework behavior,” said Capt. Justin Sylvia of the Sacramento Fire Department.

Fines for illegal fireworks in Sacramento are now set at $10,000 per firework. That charge can also rise depending on where the firework was set off.

Sacramento Regional Fire is also actively seeking to hire more dispatchers to meet the growing demand. You can find more here: https://srfecc.ca.gov/careers

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google