The president of the Northside Public Safety Council on nuisance fireworks and upcoming meeting times.

Photo courtesy of Atlantic Training via Wikimedia Commons

We all had to miss our beloved fireworks display at the three rivers in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, though, the City of Pittsburgh will have its fireworks display with activities, food vendors, and live music for everyone to enjoy and celebrate the 4th of July like never before. 

Even though every year there is a massive amount of spectators along our rivers’ shores and other places around our city to watch the fireworks display, we expect even more folks to come together and celebrate in 2021. First and foremost, enjoy what our city is preparing for us, but for public safety we encourage you to be aware of your surroundings and keep your little ones close by as the crowds will be thick.

Nuisance fireworks will also be happening in our many neighborhoods of the Northside. They can be abrasive, annoying, and harsh on our pets, especially our dogs. Know that the Zone 1 Police Department as well as the other zones in our city have a special fireworks task force where officers are put on duty to focus on illegal fireworks set off in our neighborhoods. The police department encourages you to call 911 and report any fireworks you deem to be illegal. You can Google “City of Pittsburgh fireworks rules and regulations” for more precise details of what’s illegal or not. For the furry ones in your homes, try and put them in a quiet place in your home if they are left alone and put on some music or TV that can distract them during these times. Do be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times when in crowds and if you see something that may seem odd or out of place, say something to police officers or security guards. If it’s nothing, that’s great, but if not, you could potentially save lives or prevent danger: If you see something, say something.

Please know and keep in mind that the Northside Public Safety meetings are the first Thursday of every month at 5:30 p.m. and all are welcome and encouraged to join. Our July meeting will be on the 1st and will be meeting via Zoom. Email us at Zone1psc@gmail.com to get the Zoom link to join. The Northside Public Safety Council would like to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July. For any questions, concerns, or information, contact NSPSC via phone at 412-321-0295 and leave a clear message and contact number where you can be reached or email Zone1psc@gmail.com.

David Stacy is the president of NSPSC.