Law enforcement outlines the ways residents should report illegal fireworks

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) – Ahead of the Fourth of July, law enforcement wants to be clear: not all live fireworks are an emergency.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office posted an announcement to residents of the county on Instagram and said reporting illegal fireworks should not involve calling 911.

"Every second counts when lives are on the line. Help us keep our 9-1-1 lines clear for emergencies.

Please do not call 9-1-1 to report fireworks, instead, use our online reporting form at riversidesheriff.org or call 800-950-2444.

Let’s all work together to keep our communities safe!"

Riverside County Sheriff's Office

We checked in with other local agencies, too.

The Palm Springs Police Department echoed RSO and cautioned residents to only call 911 for emergency situations. For reporting fireworks, they listed a non-emergency number: (760) 324-1441.

Tonight, we're also hearing from other agencies like the Indio Police Department. They say they have the "Harmony Line," which is used for illegal firework reports. You can call that number at (442) 300-3104. Dispatchers there assured the public that calling the Harmony Line will not delay response times; instead, they said it could even speed up how quickly your information is taken, since you won't have to wait for available dispatchers.

Stay tuned to hear how they're patrolling for illegal firework activity and what you should do if you need to report it. Stay with us for the latest.