PARK CITY, Utah — For some, the Fourth of July is a time to take a break from working, but for others, the hard work is just beginning. For Garen Scott, a Wasatch Fire District firefighter, the day starts at 6 a.m.
“On Fourth of July, we come in at 6 a.m., that's when our shift changes,” Scott said, “we'll still do detailed rig checks on our engine and especially our brush truck, because that is very commonly used on Fourth of July.”
Scott said his Fourth of July started on a busy note.
“We've had a lot of medical calls. There's a lot of people out and about, people visiting on vacation. We haven't had any fires yet. Usually, we'll get those towards the end of the day, when people are lighting off fireworks.” Scott said.
For other departments, however, it can be a waiting game.
Dave Horning, a Park City Fire District firefighter, said on the Fourth of July, their readiness to respond increases.
“We have our morning meeting we’ll go over target hazards and everything we’re concerned with. We’ll also do a full weather report it tells us where the wind is coming from, the humidity levels which is huge on wildland,” Horning said, “and then from there it’s just crew based.”
Zane Thompson, a battalion chief for Park City Fire District, said extra staffing and extra engines are always needed on this day, and that even though there is a fireworks ban in Park City, there are always fires to respond to.
“It’s always going to happen. Whether you put a ban in or not, it's just what people do. And so that's why we've got to be ready for this. We put on that extra staffing just to be prepared for that,” Thompson said.
Fire departments not only have to monitor their own areas but have to assist with neighboring cities.
They are encouraging residents to follow safety guidelines, avoid setting off fireworks near dry grass, and always have water handy.
“Fourth of July is probably one of, if not the, biggest day that we’ll get brush fires and grass fires,” Scott said.
