Pocatello police and fire department write citations, respond to fires during busy July 4 holiday

POCATELLO — The Pocatello Police and Fire departments teamed up to patrol the city on Independence Day to ensure the safety of the community.

In a recent YouTube video, Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei and Fire Chief Ryan O'Hearn discussed the situation on July 4. Schei said in the video that the police department issued 52 citations for illegal fireworks. According to a news release from the City of Pocatello, police confiscated fireworks valued at $9,500.

"We had a very busy week last week," Schei said in the video. "We had 585 calls for service and136 of those were fireworks related."

In the video, Schei and O'Hearn expressed gratitude for the people in the community who sent them those calls and that they were able to provide the service that was needed.

"We prepare all year long training and communicating together, building those relationships," O'Hearn said in the video. "We were really able to capitalize on it this weekend to provide service to the community."

Schei expressed gratitude for the first responders who were working during the week. He said they had been preparing for Independence Day for about a month.

"We work so good as a team," Schei said in the video. "We sat down about a month ahead of time and started planning this out with our members of the fire department."

O'Hearn said the fire department had six fires that it had to combat on the night of Independence Day. All six of them were caused by fireworks.

"Crews were on one fire when another fire broke out in the area of Hiline and Holmann," he said in the video. "That fire was rapidly advancing up the hill."

The Police and Fire departments had to evacuate the neighborhoods in the path of the fire near Hiline Road. Everyone involved did a great job of responding to the emergency.

"We were able to get a handle on that fire quickly," O'Hearn said in video. "No structures were damaged."

Schei said the two departments will work together again next year. He expressed gratitude for everyone in the community for making the holiday safer.

"It was a safe Fourth (of July) for everybody to be able to celebrate this great country," Schei said in the video."