Celebrate Safely on the Fourth of July

Tomorrow (Friday) is the Fourth of July, celebrated across the country as the anniversary of our nation's founding. CDPH, along with all City departments, recognizes Independence Day as a federal holiday, and all CDPH offices and clinics will be closed.

Among the many festivities will be a couple holiday hallmarks: grilling out and fireworks & other flammables like sparklers. CDPH encourages all Chicagoans to leave the explosives to the professionals, but in case you come into close contact with anything potentially dangerous, we urge you to use best practices and follow the proper safety precautions:

• Keep all flammables far away from any heat sources like grills or charcoal chimneys.
• Keep fireworks away from houses and never light them indoors.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Never allow young children to handle fireworks.
• Always keep a safe distance away from lighted fireworks and never hold them in your hands.
• Never try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks, and soak spent or unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding them.
• Keep a bucket of water nearby any time you handle fire or fireworks of any kind.

Burns and injuries from fireworks can be very serious. Keep yourselves and others safe while you celebrate Independence Day!

Protect Yourself from the Summer Heat

When it is hot outside certain populations are more vulnerable, including those who are socially isolated, don't have air conditioning, are 65 years or older, have a chronic disease, or are pregnant.

How can you keep your loved ones safe?

• Check in on relatives and neighbors, including during the evening and nighttime hours.
• If needed take shelter at city cooling centers, libraries and park district facilities, or a friend or relative's home that has air conditioning.
• If you or someone near you experiences acute symptoms or loses consciousness, call 9-1-1 and seek a cool indoor location right away.

Check out other tips and resources at the City of Chicago website.

Finding Gun Locks in Chicago

In anticipation of the July 4th weekend, CDPH urges residents to stay vigilant if they own firearms. Gun locks are a safe and effective way to prevent suicides and unintentional shootings, especially among children and teens. Gun locks are available at no cost in CDPH vending machines, CDPH Clinics, select Police stations in the 4th, 5th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 14th, and 15th police districts, and select Chicago Public Libraries.

Nonprofits and community-based organizations can also request gun locks in bulk from Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

CDPH hosts trauma-informed trainings and gun safety workshops for safety in homes and communities. A complete list of trainings can be found at chicago.gov/gunsafety.

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