DC July 4th aftermath by the numbers: 911 calls, medical responses and arrests
National Mall reopens after evacuations, Trump still set to speak | TOP STORIES
The "Salute to America" celebration is back on as thousands of people make their way back to the National Mall, with President Donald Trump still expected to speak later in the night.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the final echoes of the "Salute to America" grand fireworks show faded over the National Mall, emergency personnel wrapped up one of the busiest nights of the year.
According to a final report released by the National Special Security Event (NSSE) Joint Information Center, a combination of extreme call volumes, hundreds of medical evaluations and scattered fireworks-related arrests kept first responders operating at maximum capacity throughout the holiday.
Here is how the numbers are broken down by the numbers at the close of July 4th.
911 calls
By the numbers:
The D.C. Office of Unified Communications faced an unprecedented influx of calls as the fireworks got underway. Citywide, dispatchers handled 6,009 calls to 911.
The 9 p.m. hour, right as the fireworks display was launching, was officially logged as the single busiest hour of the entire calendar year for D.C.'s 911 system. The top driver for emergency calls citywide was illegal or hazardous fireworks.
National Mall evacuated due to threat of thunderstorms
The National Mall has been evacuated just before the "Salute to Freedom 250" event, because of the threat of severe thunderstorms moving through the area.
Medical responses
Local perspective:
With massive crowds packing the National Mall, medical tents and local hospitals were kept running around the clock. Between midnight on July 3rd and midnight on July 4th, agencies logged 699 total patient contacts and dozens of hospital transports directly from the event area.
DC Fire and EMS reported 96 patient contacts and 40 patient transports from the National Mall. George Washington University reported 289 patient contacts from the National Mall. The United States Department of Health and Human Services reported 314 patient contacts.
Crowds return to National Mall after hours of delays
Thousands of people are making their way back to the National Mall for the "Salute to America" event, after nearly three hours of rain delays.
Law enforcement
What we know:
Despite the massive crowds, law enforcement officials reported that the event remained largely peaceful, with only a handful of isolated incidents on the National Mall itself:
The Metropolitan Police Department recorded 1 arrest at the National Mall. At approximately 8:42 p.m., an adult female was taken into custody at 809 Constitution Ave., NW for failure to obey and resisting arrest.
U.S. Park Police reported 3 arrests on the Mall, while the U.S. Secret Service reported 0 arrests for the day.
Away from the National Mall, MPD focused its efforts on enforcing local fireworks laws, resulting in 18 confirmed citywide arrests (12 adults and six juveniles) on fireworks-related charges.
National Mall evacuation causes chaos at shelters, Metro stations
After the National Mall was evacuated due to thunderstorms, attendees flocked to safe haven shelters and Metro stations, wondering what's next.
Citywide reports
Big picture view:
Beyond the National Mall, DC Fire and EMS responded to 1,478 distinct incidents across the District, heavily weighted toward medical emergencies:
- 978 EMS responses
- 397 fire calls
- 103 miscellaneous emergency calls
- Three fireworks-related injuries
In total, there have been 2,774 emergency vehicle responses and 344 patient transports.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by the National Special Security Event (NSSE) Joint Information Center.