July 4th Safety and Good Things to Know

Safety during the July 4th Holiday

July 4th is about fun and celebration to observe our country’s independence. The Fuquay-Varina Police Department would like everyone to enjoy their holiday but also wish to remind the public about safety issues surrounding the July 4th holiday. Before you leave home to celebrate at various events, such as the July 3rd Independence Celebration fireworks display in Fuquay-Varina, please remember to:

· Arrange for a designated driver, or another safe form of transportation, before going out. This will help prevent people from drinking and driving and ensure the safety of themselves and others.

· Make sure that others within your group are also acting safely and obeying all laws and ordinances. Wear your seat belt and obey traffic laws.

· Attend events with a group of friends or family. Avoid leaving events alone.

· Use sidewalks and be alert for pedestrians.

· Parents should supervise and monitor youth under the age of 18 at events. We've noticed a few issues in the past of teenagers engaging in disorderly conduct at dark during the fireworks. Please ensure you supervise your children/teens. We discourage "dropping off" teens or allowing teens under age 18 to attend without a parent and/or guardian on site for the Town fireworks.

· Have a plan if you are separated from family at the Independence Celebration. Take a photo on your cell phone of family members prior to the event, particularly children or at-risk family members, to assist with identification if the family member becomes separated from your group. Ensure small children have a wrist band or other way to identify themselves or family members if they cannot articulate their name or their parent's name(s) or phone numbers of parents. Missing children are common incidents reported at large public events and these actions assist law enforcement in reuniting family members.

· Do not display large amounts of cash at an event and do not leave your cell phone or other valuables unattended.

· Do not bring weapons, pets, or alcohol to the Town event.

· Lock vehicles in designated and authorized parking areas. Secure valuables within the trunk or better yet, leave them at home.

· If attending a large public fireworks event, obey traffic control and police officers working the event. Do not park in areas designated as “no parking” areas. Remember, in congested areas, police, fire and rescue units must be able to travel freely to gain access to emergency situations.

The public is also reminded that discharging firearms within the Town limits of Fuquay-Varina is a violation of Town Ordinance. Per 8-6012 Discharging Guns, etc. "It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge or explode any gun, firecracker, cannon cracker, pistol, rocket or other explosive of whatever character upon any of the streets, alleys, sidewalks, or other public places of the Town". Per 8-6015 Firearms, "It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge a firearm at any time or place within the Town of Fuquay-Varina corporate limits except when used in defense of person or property or pursuant to lawful directions of law enforcement officers". The public is strongly urged not to fire guns into the air, as the bullet will fall to the ground with sufficient velocity to damage property and injure or kill.

Contacting the FVPD

The Fuquay-Varina Police Department anticipates a higher number of police-related calls for service during the July 4th weekend. We appreciate your patience with our response to non-emergency calls for service, which may be delayed so that officers may emergency calls for police service. Should you need to contact the Fuquay-Varina Police Department, call (919) 552-3191.