I-290 · Millersport interchange

Gray Camry loses a tire on the 290, drifts to a stop in the middle lane

Field sobriety tests conducted while officers held all but the left lane; car went for a tow either way

Just after 02:10, an Amherst PD unit at Millersport radioed back: “we're at Millersport — can I have you be missing a tire?”. A minute later, a follow-up unit reported a gray Camry with the hazards on, no tire, sitting on the shoulder near the UB North Campus exit.

At 02:19, patrol closed all lanes of the I-290 through the scene except the left. Damage was heavy, tire clean gone, and officers began field sobriety tests roadside.

By 02:23, dispatch was told the vehicle had potentially struck the guardrail near Sheridan westside before rolling to a stop. A tow was called regardless of the sobriety result — the car was called “a hazard, throwaway”.

Amherst · Newcastle Drive

Homeowner comes home to find knives all over the floor

Family evacuated to the front lawn in a black Escalade while officers cleared the interior

At 17:46, Amherst PD radioed a suspicious-circumstances check at 17 Newcastle. According to the dispatcher, the complainant had just come home and “found knives all over the floor”.

The family agreed to wait outside — dispatch put them on the front curb in a black Escalade while patrol staged. About ten minutes later, an officer requested that the air be left open for an interior sweep.

The check cleared without incident. No suspects located, no forced entry described on the air, and units backed out shortly after.

Amherst · Doubletree Hotel

Dumpster ablaze behind the Doubletree at 10 Flint Road, several 911 calls in a minute

At 22:37, Amherst Fire dispatched to a “dumpster on fire, 10 Flint Road, Doubletree Hotel” at the Doubletree Hotel, 10 Flint Road, just off Millersport Highway. A responding officer told dispatch inside the same minute: “we have a few calls on this, Chief — sounds like it's a dumpster”.

Command downgraded shortly after arrival. A trash-can-sized fire is what it turned out to be, on a night when Amherst Fire got half a dozen fireworks-related smoke calls in the same corridor.

Amherst · Grandview Drive

Twenty kids show up in one driveway to fight the complainant's granddaughter

PD arrives to find some of the alleged combatants are five or six years old

Just after 20:00, Amherst PD radioed a youth-activity call to 30 Grandview. The complainant had reported “several kids at the residence wanting to fight the complainant's granddaughter” — and, as the officer added, “I guess there's about 20 of them”.

On arrival, though, the officer described a somewhat different scene: some of the participants were about five or six years old, “there's only like two or three of them around that age”. The initial group scattered before patrol could confirm ages.

The dispatcher, dryly: “the kids are not on vacation”. Amherst PD ended up on the block long enough to sort parents from kids; one adult was noted as becoming uncooperative before the call cleared.

FRS 15 · Alden to East Amherst

Two hams spend 18 minutes on FRS 15 hammering out the July 11 backyard-BBQ menu

Boston butt goes in the slow cooker at midnight Friday; SDR radios optional

Around 17:18 on the Fourth, two callsigns opened up on FRS Channel 15 — WSBP 630 out of Alden and FR 372 in East Amherst — and settled in for a long, generous conversation that had almost nothing to do with public safety.

The agenda: a backyard hamfest set for July 11. Boston butt "stuffed the heck out of" and dropped in a slow cooker at midnight Friday, “let it rip”. Hawaiian sweet rolls. About 18 sides. Homemade steel targets welded on chain for the shooting range. A dozen borrowed lawn chairs, tents, picnic tables, 25–30 people.

Along the way, one operator got a signal off between menu items: “I like big butts”. The other, at low wattage on an ICOM 2730 mobile, replied that he was up in the Lockport area and coming through fine.

The whole thread ended with a soft "thanks for hollering back, bro" and a promise to meet on Monday night's net. It was, in every measurable way, the most human transmission in the window.

BNIA · Employee parking shuttle

TPS shuttle driver, watching the skyline from the wheel, IDs herself on the air as a buffalo

At 21:40, on the airport-employee shuttle net, a TPS driver keyed up mid-Fourth-of-July fireworks distraction. The exchange, in full: “I was looking at the fireworks — I'm a buffalo”. Then, unbidden, and with slightly more conviction: “I know, I'm a friggin' buffalo”.

There is no follow-up. There does not need to be.

Taxis · BuffaloLimo

Limo dispatcher patiently explains that yes, those cars are supposed to be there

Overheard on Taxis, twenty minutes before the show: “the cars in the parking lot are parked there for the fireworks display that doesn't start for approximately 20 more minutes”. A public service announcement, delivered on a channel that no member of the public was likely tuned into.

Amherst · Dollar Tree

Dollar Tree fireworks call: nine sublime words

The full transmission, at 21:22: “Dollar Tree's a report — fireworks are on the side, I'm clear”. The reporting officer, sounding entirely satisfied with the outcome.

Buffalo · Two working vacant fires overnight

Two working structure fires, both vacant, both overnight

BFD Ch. 2 crackled from midnight onward — one on Jefferson, then a 2½-story on Quincy

Buffalo Fire had, by rough count, at least two working structure fires overnight. The first — reported around 00:11 — was a “ordinary vacant structure, fire in the basement”. Twelve minutes later, on the fire-ground channel, command called it “Jefferson — two-story ordinary, clear to start in the rear”, use one 1¾-inch line, in the rear.

By 01:35, a second working fire was on channel: 51 Quincy, described as “2½-story wood frame, vacant”. Interior crews began advancing to the second floor around the same time.

At 01:47, four-three's command reported “visible fires knocked down — stand up overhaul, not under control yet”, then requested a relief engine company to the attic. No injuries were mentioned on the air.

Buffalo · Three shootings between midnight and 02:10

Three separate reported shootings on the Buffalo East Side inside two hours

All three came in on Buffalo Fire dispatch as EMS requests; police detail followed

The first came in at 00:17 — 258 Stages, between Northland and Delavan — “report of a female shot”. Rescue 23 and Ladder 14 rolled.

At 01:20, a second call — 630 Moselle, between Northland and East Delavan — “report of a male shot”. Air 14 responded with EMS units.

Then, at 02:08, a third — “East Ellison and Northumberland, report of a shooting” — with N-34 and Ladder 2 sent for EMS. Three shootings, three East Side blocks, all inside a window of two hours on Independence Day night.

Buffalo · Fireworks-run overload

Buffalo Fire runs six-plus fireworks-related smoke, ember, and rubbish calls in three hours

Refuge Temple Church, garbage cans on Ryan, a tree on Stevens, and Red Jacket to Goodyear

The pattern started at 22:24: “using fireworks and burning stuff” across the street from 944 Jefferson, at the Refuge Temple Church. Twelve minutes later, at 22:36, dispatch tagged “possible fire, unknown” at Goodyear and East Ferry.

By 23:22, dispatch was working through consecutive rubbish-fire calls — 440 Ryan “illegal burning of fireworks — rubbish fire from trash”, a garbage can on DuPont, embers on a porch on East Delavan and Stevens.

The eleven-o'clock hour ended with an engine reporting “the tree will be on fire” on Stevens. Total burnable damage was minimal; total dispatcher patience, thoroughly tested.