Just in time for the upcoming holiday, the Riverbank City Council received a presentation this past week about illegal fireworks and how the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department is planning to deal with them.

Alex Tovar, Community Resource Deputy, described for the council how the department is planning to detect their use and what potential fines would be. Only fireworks certified as “Safe and Sane” by the state fire marshal are considered legal. He said that anything that flies into the air and explodes is considered unsafe and will be cited.

He said a first offense would be fined at $1,000 with subsequent citations increasing by $1,000 more for each. And, officials warned, any illegal fireworks set off in or near a park, or a school site, carries a fine of $10,000.

Tovar also noted that the sheriff’s department would be using the helicopter unit, along with drones, to locate and identify violators.

The deputy said that GPS technology would be used to determine locations.

The officer added that the goal of the safety campaign is to provide education and make residents aware of the potential risks of using fireworks, the consequences of possessing/using illegal fireworks, and provide tips on how to correctly use legal fireworks for safe Fourth of July celebrations.

He pointed out that citizens could report misuse of fireworks and possession/use of illegal fireworks by contacting the non-emergency dispatch phone line at 209-552-2472.

He said they should only call 9-1-1 in an emergency.