Portland fire officials are touting their inaugural fireworks complaint platform as a success, after seeing a 13% reduction in 911 calls and a nearly 70% drop in emergency call answer times.

The new reporting platform launched ahead of the Fourth of July to allow residents to report nuisance fireworks online.

Complainants using the form can report specific information about the location and time of fireworks usage. They can even drop pins on the exact houses where the fireworks were coming from.

Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves said on Monday the main goal of the tip line was not necessarily for taking punitive measures against violators, but rather to give residents a place to report fireworks without overwhelming emergency dispatch centers.

Graves said the average response time for 911 callers on July 4 was eight seconds in 2025, compared to 26 seconds in 2024. He said that was partly due to the new complaint form, which has collected over 4,300 reports since it launched.

“It looks like the online reporting tool was successful in the ability to reduce strain and stress on the dispatch center, which in turn allows our engines to respond quicker,” Graves said. “In the end game, it was a pretty good deal.”

Despite a citywide fireworks ban, PF&R has responded to 24 firework-caused fires since June 23, when legal sales began around the state, with eight of those fires being reported on the Fourth of July itself.

Graves said those fires are under investigation.

The Portland Police Bureau had encouraged residents ahead of the holiday to skip the personal fireworks and enjoy a professional display instead. At least one person was cited over the weekend for using illegal fireworks.

Graves said the 4,300 fireworks complaints from this year will be compared with future data to compile heat maps and statistics on frequent-use areas. The fire department can then work in those identified areas to increase fire safety education campaigns and prevent future violations.

“It’s information that we can utilize to better make decisions in the future in hopes of reducing or eliminating the personal firework use that we know causes problems,” Graves said.

Graves said even seemingly small progress is vital to community safety.

“The firework ban didn’t stop people from utilizing fireworks,” Graves said. “But it might reduce it, and any reduction in open flame or firework use is going to increase the safety of our communities.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/07/portland-oregon-fireworks-tip-line-police-fourth-july-holiday/