Long Beach to Use Drones During Fourth of July Fireworks Enforcement Effort
The City says drones will help locate illegal fireworks activity, improve emergency response, and provide aerial support as Long Beach prepares for one of its busiest nights of the year.
Adrian Morales
LONG BEACH, Calif. As Independence Day approaches, Long Beach officials are preparing to deploy a new tool in this year’s effort to curb illegal fireworks.
For the first time, the City of Long Beach will use drones as part of its Fourth of July public safety operations, combining a new city drone pilot with the Long Beach Police Department’s existing drone program to help identify illegal fireworks activity, improve emergency response, and provide aerial support during one of the busiest nights of the year.
Officials say drone footage may also be used as evidence in illegal fireworks investigations. When officers capture evidentiary images of fireworks being launched from an identifiable location, those images may be submitted to the City Prosecutor for potential enforcement under the City’s fireworks ordinance.
Why Long Beach Is Using Drones
According to the City of Long Beach, the Fourth of July drone pilot is designed to determine whether drones can improve public safety during periods of increased emergency calls.
Officials say the aircraft may be used to identify fireworks hotspots, detect potential fire hazards, monitor active incidents, and provide real-time aerial information to personnel responding on the ground.
The City also says footage collected during drone operations may be used as evidence in fireworks-related investigations and could be referred to the City Prosecutor for possible enforcement under Long Beach’s illegal fireworks ordinance.
Long Beach has repeatedly reminded residents that all consumer fireworks remain illegal within city limits, regardless of whether they are legally purchased elsewhere in California.
Long Beach Classic recently reported that illegal fireworks calls have fallen 76% since 2020, even as the City continues investing in new enforcement strategies ahead of the Fourth of July.
Police Already Use Drones
While many residents may only notice drones during the Fourth of July holiday, the Long Beach Police Department has already incorporated drones into certain public safety operations.
The department launched its drone program in 2025 to assist officers responding to calls for service by providing an aerial view of incidents before officers arrive or while they are responding.
According to the Police Department, drones have been used to assist in locating suspects, searching for missing people, documenting incidents, and improving officer safety by providing a better understanding of active scenes.
FAA-Certified Operators and Privacy Protections
The City says all drones used during the pilot program will be operated by FAA-certified personnel.
Officials also state that the program does not use facial recognition technology, a point the City highlighted as part of its privacy safeguards while evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot.
The City says the goal is not only to improve emergency response during this year’s Independence Day celebrations, but also to determine whether drone technology should play a larger role in future public safety operations.
What Residents Should Expect
Residents celebrating the Fourth of July may notice drones flying over parts of the city where illegal fireworks complaints or emergency incidents are reported.
Officials say the drones are intended to support police officers and firefighters by providing aerial information during active calls rather than conducting routine surveillance of neighborhoods.
With thousands of fireworks complaints historically reported around the holiday, city leaders hope the technology will improve response times, help identify dangerous situations more quickly, and provide valuable information to emergency personnel working on the ground.
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