Lubbock Police Issue Guide on When to Call 911 About Fireworks

The Lubbock Police Department has issued a graphic to educate citizens about when to and when not to call 911 if someone is setting off fireworks on the 4th of July.

According to Lubbock police, citizens should call 911 when:

• A fire has been started from the use of fireworks
• Someone has been injured by fireworks
• Someone is making homemade fireworks
• Someone's life is in immediate danger or they're being threatened (Police clarify that it's ALWAYS OK to call 911 in a situation where someone is in physical danger.)
• There is something on fire, smoke and flames are visible
• You find a short piece of pipe with a fuse or wire coming out of it

For other fireworks-related issues, police recommend that citizens call the non-emergency line at (806) 775-2865.

An important thing to remember is that fireworks are illegal in Lubbock's city limits. But your neighborhood is anything like mine, you'd know that no one pays attention to that fact. On the 4th of July, my neighborhood looks like a fireworks stand had gasoline poured on it and then was set on fire. It's complete insanity and chaos.

I don't complain, but I do worry about pets and vets. Animals tend to get very frightened and run. Our vets with PTSD suffer even worse.

Even though fireworks are illegal in the city limits, the Lubbock Police Department requests that you call the non-emergency number for most instances. If you have any question as to what that means, they've provided the chart (below) to clearly spell out when you should call 911 and when you shouldn't call 911.

Please be safe and considerate of those pets and vets this 4th of July.