Updated
Updated · NBC Bay Area · Jul 5
San Jose Police Deploy Drones From 5 Fire Stations to Curb Illegal Fireworks
Updated
Updated · NBC Bay Area · Jul 5

San Jose Police Deploy Drones From 5 Fire Stations to Curb Illegal Fireworks

2 articles · Updated · NBC Bay Area · Jul 5

Summary

  • Saturday night, San Jose police sent drones up from five fire stations to spot illegal fireworks at the source and help prevent brush fires.
  • The crackdown follows fires sparked by illegal fireworks near Lake Cunningham two years ago, with fire officials warning the activity had already been building for days.
  • 20 extra San Jose Fire personnel were added for the holiday night, with radio-command dispatch set up to speed responses when fireworks incidents broke out.
  • Lake Cunningham Park again used a drone light show instead of fireworks for America’s 250th, a switch city leaders say helped drive a sharp drop in fireworks-related emergency calls last year.

Insights

As police drones patrol for fireworks, where does holiday safety end and citizen surveillance begin?
Cities are trading firework risks for drone shows, but what new dangers does this technology introduce?