DATE: January 28, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Fire Department
TITLE: REPORT ON POTENTIAL MEASURES FOR ABATEMENT OF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council receive a report on potential measures for abatement of illegal fireworks and provide direction to prepare a formal administrative abatement program and implementing ordinance.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On August 20, 2025, the City Council directed staff to explore enforcement strategies to address the proliferation of illegal fireworks within the City, similar to programs recently adopted by other California jurisdictions. This report provides an informational update on the collaborative efforts of the Oceanside Fire Department, Oceanside Police Department, and the City Attorney's Office, and seeks City Council direction regarding the scope and structure of a proposed mitigation program consisting of an administrative enforcement model, including tiered penalties, response cost recovery, and defined notice and appeal procedures, to supplement existing criminal enforcement. The goal is to enhance deterrence, reduce fire risk, and provide a clear, consistent enforcement structure for high-impact fireworks activity during peak periods such as Independence Day and New Year's Eve
This report includes the following components:
- Analysis of fireworks-related calls for service,
- Research into enforcement programs in other jurisdictions, and
- Development of proposed enhanced measures to abate illegal fireworks.
Illegal fireworks activity in Oceanside poses significant public health and safety risks, contributes to noise disturbances, air pollution and litter, and places increased demand on public safety resources. Historically, reports of illegal fireworks activity increase substantially during the Independence Day holiday period and to a lesser extent, New Year's Eve. Similar to the experiences of several other California cities, tradi...
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