Police, Fire Officials: Stay Safe This Holiday Weekend

This Independence Day weekend, the Nassau County Police Department will participate in a New York State "STOP-DWI" grant that will allocate additional police officers to conduct an extensive DWI enforcement initiative.

The same goes for the Port Washington Police District, which will have extra patrols out around town all weekend.

"There will be additional enforcement on this very busy holiday weekend," said Deputy Chief Ronald DeMeo, "The Port Washington Police District will have a zero tolerance policy on drinking and driving."

Another issue this holiday weekend is the illegal use of fireworks, according to DeMeo.

"Fireworks are illegal in the State of New York and many accidents occur on these holiday weekends," DeMeo said.

Port Washington Fire Department Assistant Chief Geoffrey P. Cole said the department typically responds to many emergencies caused by fireworks this weekend. According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, more fires are reported on the Fourth of July than any other day of the year in the United States, and that more than half of these fires are caused by fireworks.

"We will respond to emergencies caused by fireworks and urge everyone to stay safe over the holiday weekend," Cole said.