By Tony Hicks. Bay City News.
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office says it has collected nearly 400 pounds of illegal fireworks during the county's first fireworks buyback event.
Held in the parking lot of 2500 Middlefield Road in Redwood City, the drive was a no-questions-asked opportunity for people to drop off fireworks of any kind for safe disposal.
The five-hour event was hosted by the Sheriff's Office and County Supervisor Warren Slocum's office. Depending on the weight, up to $75 cash was paid out to people who delivered their fireworks.
The goal was to reduce the illegal use of fireworks throughout San Mateo County.
“The 4th of July holiday is a great day to spend time with friends and family. It's also one of the busiest nights of the year for our patrol deputies," San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said.
“Illegal fireworks present serious risks to our community and have negative impacts on the quality of life for everyone. This buyback was intended to give people the opportunity to deliver their fireworks and help make everyone's holidays safer. I want to thank Supervisor Slocum for his support in making this such a successful event."
Material collected included military-grade smoke grenades, M-80s, Ariel rockets, and mortar-style fireworks. Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians from the sheriff's office were on scene in case of any unsafe circumstances.
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