Are you ready for the 4th of July? Some preparedness tips and celebratory gunfire myths...
With so much activity in San Francisco lately it's hard to believe the 4th of July is around the corner! As we've seen in the last few days the Bay Area is being greeted with quite the heat wave and with the 4th just this Saturday we wanted to share some preparedness and safety tips that will be sure to contribute to your wonderful weekend.
How to prepare your family for the 4th of July:
- Remember to replenish your first aid kits
- Stay hydrated
- Wear sunscreen
- Wear layers
- Remember to handle fireworks with care
- If you or your loved ones are faced with an emergency, give us a call! (9-1-1)
- If you see suspicious behavior, contact authorities- we want to work together to make sure our communities are safe!
- Lastly, have fun!
In addition to basic safety tips, the 4th of July always seems to bring out excitement in our communities. One thing to be wary of are the dangers of celebratory gunfire. We've all heard it...but sometimes we catch ourselves thinking, was that really gunfire or just a firework? You might feel like this is an ode to the past, that celebratory gunfire is rare-or simply doesn't happen anymore. Yet, just early this year during a New Year's Eve celebration a man was killed by a falling bullet while watching fireworks.
Unfortunately celebratory gunfire is still somewhat common, and we wanted to take this time to dispel a few rumors and myths regarding the celebratory shots:
- It's not illegal.
- Not only is it illegal, its been upgraded to a felony charge.
- Injury from celebratory gunfire is rare.
- In fact, the possibility for fatalities are much higher (close to 30%), due to the bullet's speed while falling straight down and the impact from directly above, rather than another angle.
- Bullets shot up simply disappear.
- Well unfortunately, they do no such thing. What goes up must come down...
- It is not preventable.
- If you see suspicious behavior, contact authorities...sometimes people simply aren't aware of just how risky and unsafe celebratory gunfire can be.
We want you to have a fun and safe 4th of July while knowing how to keep your loved ones and your community out of harms way. With that said, we hope you've dusted off your BBQs and are ready for a weekend of celebrations!
