The Vancouver City Council on Monday will be given a by-the-numbers look at the Fourth of July fireworks show.
Elson Strahan, president of the Fort Vancouver National Trust, said Thursday that he will let the mayor and council know the paid attendance as well as participation in kids’ activities. That helps gauge how many youngsters attended, as those 12 and younger were not charged admission.
The July 4 show marked the return of what has been the city’s signature event. Budget problems forced the event to go dark in 2009, and cutbacks by local agencies meant event organizers had to fill some services.
While he wouldn’t divulge numbers, Strahan said, “it certainly looks extremely positive for next year.”
While people will have to wait until next week to learn how many people attended the big show, Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency has been willing to share another fireworks-related number: 458. That’s how many people called 911 between June 28 (the first day fireworks went on sale) and July 5 with fireworks-related concerns, not including 46 calls about fires.
Kim Kapp, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Police Department, and Sgt. Scott Schanaker, spokesman for the sheriff’s department, said no citations were issued for illegal fireworks.
Of 250 calls to 911 within Vancouver city limits, 169 were placed between June 28 and June 30 and on July 5, when fireworks were illegal. For the first year, the city had only a four-day fireworks season.
For perspective, calls to 911 on July 4-5 totaled 2,180. The agency tracks calls for the holiday and numbers increase along with the temperature.
Last year, when the Fourth fell on a Saturday and it was 92 degrees, there were 2,515 total calls July 4-5.
Clark County Deputy Fire Marshal Richard Martin said people should not shy away from calling 911 about fireworks. He said dispatchers send the information to the fire marshal’s office as well as to law enforcement, and it’s the most efficient way to get the fire marshal’s on-call investigator to the scene.
