Hollister public safety authorities are continuing to show a penchant for adjustments in their strategies for the busy July 4 weekend.
Police Chief David Westrick last week had announced some changes in store for the Hollister Rally motorcycle event Friday through Sunday in downtown Hollister. Those adjustments included adding new barricades, using visiting officers from agencies familiar with large events, and moving the first aid area from the Veterans Memorial Building to Fire Station No. 1, slightly away from the chaos of downtown’s core.
This week, Westrick added some more tweaks to the approach for Independence Day. Public safety authorities early in the week showcased a new “Fireworks Team” that already made four arrests for illegal fireworks use as of Monday with penalties that bring stiffened fines recently increased from $250 to $1,000. Westrick also underscored plans to use emergency responders on bicycles in the rally event area.
There will be six medics on bicycles – so called “mobile medics” with a kit of essential life-saving tools such as defibrillators. He said the use of responders on bikes is a rare use of resources for such large events.
“I think that’s kind of a neat thing,” he said.
Westrick mentioned other plans for the weekend for enhanced safety such as shrinking intersections to better control walkways.
The Fireworks Team includes two code enforcement officers and four fire marshals, Westrick said. The chief said Hollister is not alone in its problem with illegal, air-bound fireworks.
“It’s actually every city and county has the same problem,” he said.
HPD Announcement Excerpt:
The Hollister Fireworks Enforcement Team encourages you to only use the safe and sane fireworks available locally. The Hollister Fireworks Enforcement Team will be out throughout the Independence Day Holiday period in marked and unmarked vehicles.
If you possess illegal fireworks or if you are unsure if the fireworks you have are legal, contact the Hollister Fire Department at 831-636-4325. You may turn in any illegal fireworks you may have and avoid a citation at any City of Hollister Fire Station or the San Juan Bautista Fire Station. Citizens are reminded that there is zero tolerance policy for illegal fireworks and we encourage you to take advantage of the amnesty program.
If you wish to report illegal fireworks, please call the fire department at 636-4325 or 636-4331 for Dispatch. You can also use the myPD app and report them directly on your Android or Apple smartphones. When your reporting please give the offenders exact street address if you can provide. Please refrain from calling if you are reporting that you have only heard fireworks and do not have an address.
