Area briefing

FREE SHREDDING EVENT PLANNED

Las Vegas City Councilman Bob Coffin is scheduled to host a free document shredding event from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Kmart parking lot at 5051 E. Bonanza Road. Participants are limited to five boxes. For more information, call 702-229-4623 or visit lasvegasnevada.gov/ward3.

CITY LAUNCHES NATIONWIDE SEARCH
FOR NEW LAS VEGAS FIRE & RESCUE CHIEF

The city of Las Vegas began a nationwide search March 4 for a Las Vegas Fire & Rescue chief following the Feb. 7 retirement of Mike Myers.

A candidate is expected to be appointed to the position no later than July 1, the city said. Meanwhile, Deputy Fire Chief Scott Fuller is serving as interim fire chief.

Candidates have until April 5 to submit their résumés. They will then be screened, with the most qualified ones selected to take part in an evaluation process being developed by city officials. Interviews are tentatively scheduled for mid-May.

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue has 19 fire stations, two support stations, 664 authorized positions and a 2013 operating budget of $111.1 million.

COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION BUREAU
MERGES WITH BUILDING DEPARTMENT

The Clark County Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Bureau recently became a division of the county Building Department. In conjunction with the merger, the bureau moved from 575 E. Flamingo Road to 4701 W. Russell Road. The bureau’s office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The move is expected to help the bureau expedite its fire prevention services, improve customer service and enhance safety.

The bureau provides construction and business customers with permit management, plan review and inspection services.

For more information, call 702-455-7316 or visit clarkcountynv.gov/depts/fire/fire_prevention/pages/default.aspx.

FUNDRAISER FOR BURN FOUNDATION TO FILL WALL WITH PLASTIC FIREFIGHTER HELMETS

Rí Rá Irish Pub at The Shoppes at Mandalay Place, 3930 Las Vegas Blvd. South, plans a fundraiser through Sunday for the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation to support the nonprofit’s efforts to assist victims of fire and other catastrophic events.

Guests may purchase a black Guinness-branded paper firefighter helmet for $1 at the pub. The helmets will be hung on a wall.

The Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation consists of personnel from Las Vegas Fire & Rescue and the Clark County, Henderson, North Las Vegas and Nellis fire departments. The foundation also works closely with the burn unit at University Medical Center.

In the past year, the foundation has raised about $32,000 to assist families confronted with a catastrophic event.

TALK ON IDENTITY THEFT PLANNED

Law enforcement officers plan to present a program titled Identity Theft, Fraud and Scams at 1:30 p.m. March 19 at Temple Beth Sholom, 10700 Havenwood Lane.

Guest speakers are scheduled to be Metropolitan Police Department Detective Michael Gomez and Scott Bakken of the FBI. Light refreshments will be served.

The event is free and open to the public.

Call 702-382-6456 or 702-233-3785 for more information.

FREE CAR SEAT CHECKS TO BE OFFERED
FOR NEW WEIGHT REQUIREMENT

Parents who are confused about an upcoming change to weight requirements regarding child-safety seats can have them checked free at ongoing inspection events.

Sunrise Children’s Hospital and Safe Kids Clark County offer monthly car seat checks from 10 a.m. to noon every third Saturday at The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2240 Village Walk Drive, Henderson, and from 5 to 7 p.m. every third Wednesday at Sunrise Children’s Hospital, 3186 S. Maryland Parkway.

The new weight rule, set to go live in 2014, forbids the use of lower anchors for installing child-safety seats if the child and the seat have a combined weight of 65 pounds or more. Child seats typically weigh 15 to 33 pounds.

The rule, which officials say has caused confusion among area parents, is a precautionary measure should the lower anchors be unable to secure the seat.

Manufacturers have been federally required to install lower anchors in motor vehicles since 2001 to make child-safety seats easier to install.

Even with the anchor system, four out of five car seats are improperly installed, said registered nurse Jeanne Cosgrove Marsala, director of Safe Kids Clark County.

The new rule means parents will have to take the weight of their car seat and their child into consideration with every selection and installation of a car seat, Cosgrove Marsala said.

For more information, including additional safety seat inspection dates and locations, visit safekidsclarkcounty.org/events.php or call 702-731-8666.

GEORGE WALLACE OFFERS FREE TICKETS
TO ACTIVE FIRST RESPONDERS

Flamingo headliner George Wallace is offering first responders free entry into “The New Mr. Vegas” through 2013. Participants must have a valid badge or department ID.

The Flamingo is at 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. South. For more information, visit flamingolasvegas.com or call 702-733-3111.

THE RAPE CRISIS CENTER MAKES STRIDES WITH ITS ASSISTANCE EFFORTS

The Rape Crisis Center said its volunteer advocates were able to help more victims last year than in 2011, thanks to stepping up its community connections.

Center advocates made 588 hospital visit last year, an increase of 39.6 percent over 2011, when hospital visits totaled 421. Also, volunteer advocates handled 6,084 calls last year, up 1.9 percent over 2011, when volunteers handled 5,968 calls.

The increase in services accessed by rape victims is a result of better and stronger community relationships and community outreach, not necessarily an increase in the number of sexual assaults, said Bill Thomas, chairman of the board for The Rape Crisis Center.

Thomas said that in 2012, the center had an improved relationship with University Medical Center; a more collaborative relationship with the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program, which includes nurses specially trained to collect forensic evidence in sexual assault cases; greater collaboration with law enforcement and other agencies that come in contact with sexual assault victims; and increased public relations and social media efforts.

The center has been working to improve community relationships, including with police, and raise awareness about its services, Thomas said.

Volunteer advocates with The Rape Crisis Center receive 50 hours of training and work a minimum of six-hour shifts each week on a 24/7 rotational basis to answer hot line calls from victims, provide support and information and make hospital visits when requested. The organization has nearly 30 volunteers.

The Rape Crisis Center is at 6375 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite W1B. For more information, visit therapecrisiscenter.org or call 702-385-2153.

COUNTY SEEKS TO HIRE LIFEGUARDS,
OTHER WATER-SAFETY POSITIONS

The Clark County Parks and Recreation Department is seeking applicants to fill cashier, lifeguard, water-safety instructor and management positions for the 2013 pool season.

Jobs are available for those 15 or older, with hourly pay ranging from $9 to $15, based on experience and certifications.

Those who hold American Red Cross lifeguard certification or are interested in cashier positions can fill out an application at clarkcountynv.gov/parks.

Those who wish to apply for a lifeguard or other water-related position must complete the training course at the Hollywood Aquatics Center, 1550 S. Hollywood Blvd., or the Desert Breeze Aquatic Facility, 8275 Spring Mountain Road.

The training course costs a reduced rate of $70 if participants sign an employment contract with the county. Otherwise, the cost is $140. The course includes lifesaving skills, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillator and emergency first aid. The five-day course is held multiple times until the last one, set to start May 2.

Prerequisite skills include the ability to complete a 300-yard continuous swim and retrieve a weighted object from 7 to 10 feet of water. Applicants with no prerequisite skills can attend a lifeguard preparation course at the Hollywood Aquatics Center for $10. The class is set for 5 to 6 p.m. March 29 and April 12.

For more information, visit clarkcountynv.gov/parks or call 702-455-8508.

SIDEWALK RAMPS TO BE INSTALLED
IN CITY OF LAS VEGAS NEIGHBORHOODS

The city of Las Vegas has implemented a program to construct sidewalk ramps in residential areas to help increase the safety and livability of the neighborhoods.

The program will seek to improve pedestrian routes and the aesthetic appearance of the city’s residential areas and provide for compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

In-house construction staff members will complete sidewalk ramps in selected areas. Funding for the project will be provided by the city of Las Vegas.

Roughly 150 sidewalk ramps will be constructed, along with upgrades to 25 existing ramps. Workers will also address damaged sidewalk panels.

Work has started in the first two improvement areas, which are in the residential neighborhood bounded by Decatur Boulevard, Meadows Lane and Valley View and Charleston boulevards; and the residential area bounded by Marion Street, Charleston Boulevard, Stewart Avenue and the Las Vegas Wash. Work is expected to continue for five months, and minimal traffic and pedestrian impacts are expected during construction, city officials said.

The program is one of several projects the city has undertaken in the last year to help improve older neighborhoods. The city recently constructed sidewalks and other pedestrian improvements in wards 3 and 5 to improve the walkability and quality of life for residents in the downtown Las Vegas and West Las Vegas project areas.

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
TO HELP TRAP FERAL CATS

The Community Cat Coalition of Clark County is seeking volunteer assistance trapping feral cats in the valley in order to spay or neuter them before returning them to the site where they were captured.

The group receives 15 to 20 calls almost daily from people requesting help trapping their feral/stray cat colonies.

The organization has 180 trapping projects planned, with additional ones being added all the time. About 40 volunteers help the group fulfill its mission but more are sought.

Those interested in helping can email volunteer@c5-tnr.org or call 702-997-4620.