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JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo (KDVR) — For the third straight year, Jefferson County is utilizing a fireworks hotline during the Fourth of July weekend hoping to ease the burden of calls on dispatchers. 

Jeffcom 911 is asking people with non-emergent firework complaints to call the hotline at 303-980-7340 instead of calling 911. 

“For a firework call to tie up somebody, it means somebody else’s emergency has to be put on hold,” said Cherish Moon. 

Moon gave FOX31 an inside look at their backup call center where 12 call takers are taking firework-related calls this weekend. 

They’re asking people to call the hotline instead of 911 unless there’s a fire, injury, or emergency situation. 

“It’s a quick phone call. We ask what the area is, how long they’ve been going off, if they’re aerial, then they get sent to the dispatch center as they normally would, and then they get sent out for officers to handle as needed,” said Moon.

She said keeping those 911 lines free for real emergencies could end up saving a life. 

“Those 30 seconds that they might get stuck on hold because all of our 911 calls are tied up, listening to that recording, those 30 seconds matter to save a life,” said Moon.