Cambria County, PA (WJAC) — With the Fourth of July right around the corner, the Cambria County 911 Center says the number of shots-fired calls throughout the county continue to rise because of fireworks in the area.
“We are expecting to get more calls and if we are not getting them, we are questioning why aren’t people concerned,” says Robbin Melnyk, 911 coordinator. “It’s not a bad thing we are expecting to get more calls this week.”
Wednesday, 6 News did an experiment with the West Hills Police Department to see if we could tell the difference between a shots-fired call and a firework.
“There can be a difference depending on the type of firework and the caliber of firearm that you use, but more often than not, the sounds are very similar,” Officer Michael Beblar says.
Officials say that when listening outside, if you can, use your other senses to try to determine if it is a gunshot or a firework.
“It’s all your senses, use what you see and put that in concept with what you hear,” Beblar says. “Do you see people running? Do you see a car pulling away? Do you hear people screaming?”
Officials say telling the difference between the two can sometimes be impossible, so when in doubt, always call 911.
“We never discourage anyone from calling 911 if they are not sure,” Beblar says. “That is what we are here for. We can go check it out and investigate ... if you’re not sure. That’s what we do -- we investigate it and figure out if it is a gunshot or firework and deal with it accordingly.”
Officers are reminding residents that by Pennsylvania law, shooting off any firework within 150 feet of any residential building is prohibited.
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