AUSTIN, Texas — The annual fireworks show at Vic Mathias Shores in Downtown Austin draws in tens of thousands of people on the Fourth of July.
But some Austinites choose to have fireworks shows of their own, keeping Austin 311 agents busy.
Last year, the agency received 932 fireworks noise complaints between 6 p.m. July 4 and 6 a.m. July 5, according to a spokesperson.
Fireworks are illegal in Austin, so Austin 311 agents send each complaint to the Austin Police Department.
Officers can't respond to every single complaint, and when they do their goal isn't to issue a citation, Commander Jay Bryant said.
"The officers have to see the person lighting the fireworks to issue a citation," he said. "The first thing we want is voluntary compliance. We don't want to issue citations. We want voluntary compliance."
Either way, the complaints will come, so Austin 311 plans to increase its staffing Thursday night beginning at 8 p.m.
You can file a fireworks noise complaint by calling 311, not 911. You can also submit a complaint through the Austin 311 mobile app.