Ada County Sheriff to Accept Non-Emergency Texts Over 4th of July

It's the Fourth of July here in the Treasure Valley and beyond--what are your plans?

Will you be gathering with friends? Grilling? Working?

For most, some form of firework will be involved-- be it lighting them or watching them. When this many fireworks are firing off in July, there are all sorts of fire risks in our area and most often, the emergency lines get really busy for local dispatch centers.

In an effort to keep dispatchers focused on true emergencies this year (and not just a noisy neighbor), the Ada County Sheriff's Office is opening up a text line that citizens can use to report non-emergency, firework concerns to.

In a message to the public, the Ada County Sheriff's Office wrote:

If you need to report illegal fireworks in Ada County (and there's no fire and no one is hurt), you have the option to skip the phone call and text your concern to our non-emergency number at 208-377-6790. This option is available on July 4th and 5th, and it helps our dispatchers stay focused on higher-priority emergencies.  Dispatchers will be actively monitoring the text line and advising law enforcement—just like they would if you called in. Plus, since July 4th tends to bring a high volume of calls, texting can help you avoid being placed on hold for non-emergency situations.

The overwhelmingly important message through all of this? If you have a true emergency, such as a fire, or anything else not related to fireworks--authorities remind you to PLEASE still call 9-1-1 as this text line is dedicated to firework reporting.

Take a look at all things fireworks, below!