JOHNSON CO. — We're celebrating America's birthday, but sometimes people push the limits with the fireworks and complaints start rolling into emergency call centers.
The 4th of July weekend is one of the busiest times, at emergency dispatch centers. They're hoping you can help keep the lines clear for those with real emergencies.
Dispatchers at the Johnson County 911 Center say there is an uptick in calls from people complaining about fireworks.
Unless someone is hurt, or fireworks damage your property, you're asked to call the non-emergency line.
Jason Able, from the Johnson County's Dispatch, says it's critical for people to call these numbers because minutes, even seconds, matter in an actual emergency.
"You could be tying up a line for somebody else that has been in an accident, or their house is on fire, or a child is drowning in a pool, so we ask that you save the 911 lines for those type of calls," Able said. "You can just call our non-emergency line."
To help curb complaints to dispatch if you are shooting off fireworks, Able says pay attention to your local firework laws.
For Marion County, if there is a firework complaint, call 311 from your cell phone, 317-327-3811 from your landline.
For Johnson County, if there is a firework complaint, call 317-346-6336 from both landlines and cell phones.
