Area Briefing

DOWNTOWN AREA COMMAND OFFICERS RECOGNIZE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department's Downtown Area Command recently recognized 14 students at Martin Middle School for their participation in the department's Going Above and Beyond essay contest, part of its Downtown 360 initiative.

The winners were presented with a certificate and voucher Dec. 20 for the Flightlinez zip line at the Fremont Street Experience.

The students' essays ranged from examples of bravery displayed Sept. 11 by first responders to personal responsibilities each child takes on at home.

The Downtown 360 program focuses on properties in the downtown area that are receptive to a proactive police program for crime reduction.

CITY OF LAS VEGAS TO OFFER LIFEGUARD AND WATER SAFETY TRAINING

The city of Las Vegas plans to offer a new lifeguard training course for $125 from January through May at the Las Vegas Municipal Pool, 431 E. Bonanza Road, and the Pavilion Center Pool, 101 S. Pavilion Center Drive. Course sessions also are planned from June through August at the outdoor Baker Pool, 1100 E. St. Louis Ave.

Advance registration is required. The course is required for those who wish to be employed as lifeguards. Those who successfully complete the program will receive an American Red Cross universal certificate for lifeguarding/first aid/CPR/AED, which is valid for two years. The city said it will offer an employment opportunity to qualified course graduates.

The course is about 25½ hours. Participants must be at least age 15, attend all sessions and successfully complete the requirements to receive certification.

There is a minimum of six registrants required for each course. A pocket mask must be purchased prior to the first class meeting. Participants must download and print the lifeguarding manual before the first class. The manual can be purchased or printed at shopstaywell.com or redcrossstore.org.

Prerequisite skills include:

---Swimming 300 yards (12 lengths of a pool) in combination of front crawl and breaststroke.

---Treading water for two minutes using only the legs, with the hands under the armpits.

---Swimming 20 yards, surface diving 7 to 10 feet, retrieving a 10-pound brick and exiting the water without a ladder, within one minute and 40 seconds.

For those who are unsure of passing the lifeguarding prerequisites, several sessions of a two-week pre-lifeguarding skills course are planned beginning this month.

Classes for American Red Cross lifeguard training instructor, water safety instructor and CPR/AED for professional rescuers and health care providers also are available.

Details on class dates, times, locations, costs and registration are available at lasvegasnevada.gov/files/splash_for_cash_2013.pdf or by calling 702-229-6309.

CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING PROGRAM UNDER WAY AT VALLEY SITES

Free Christmas tree recycling is planned through Jan. 15 at various sites around the valley.

Before dropping off trees, remove lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments, nails, tree stands and any other materials. Flocked trees cannot be recycled. Trees more than 5 feet tall should be cut in half.

The trees will be chipped into mulch for area parks and other common areas. When chipped into mulch, cut trees become organic material used in landscaping projects that help conserve soil moisture and keep plants healthy.

Each year during the recycling program, area government agencies, nonprofits and businesses work together in a joint effort to keep Christmas trees out of Southern Nevada's landfill. The Las Vegas Valley recycled more than 17,000 trees last year.

The program was established in 2001 to educate the community on how recycling Christmas trees helps ensure the sustainability of the area by saving landfill space.

For drop-off sites and other additional information, visit springspreserve.org or cdsn.org/christmastreerecycling.html.

TOY DRIVE BRINGS CHRISTMAS TO CHILD HAVEN

Metropolitan Police Department employees delivered more than a dozen bins of new unwrapped toys Dec. 19 to Child Haven, 701 N. Pecos Road.

The gifts were part of a monthlong internal toy drive organized by the Women of Metro, a group of department employees, and focused on mentoring women to become more involved in the community.

Bins were placed throughout the department's headquarters and other police facilities in the valley, many of which were filled to the brim.

Child Haven is a temporary housing facility for children who have been removed from their homes and for whom there is no other foster care or housing options.

USED COOKING OIL TO BE ACCEPTED AT SPRINGS PRESERVE COLLECTION SITE

Residents can dispose of their holiday cooking oil in an eco-friendly way by taking part in the Clark County Water Reclamation District's annual oil recycling event.

Cooking oil is scheduled to be accepted from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Jan. 15 in the south ticketing parking lot at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd.

The recycling program is a component of the district's Don't Be a Pain in the Drain outreach campaign, geared to decrease the amount of sewer blockages and overflows caused by fat, oil, grease and grit disposed of in drains by customers.

The used cooking oil that is collected is recycled into biofuel for trucks, buses and vehicles.

Participants can pour their used oil back into the original container or use funnels that are available between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the water reclamation district's offices at 5857 E. Flamingo Road. Smaller amounts of used cooking oil and grease can be put into a can and disposed of in the garbage.

For more information, visit paininthedrain.com.

COUNTY FIRE OFFICIALS OFFER TIPS ON HOLIDAY SAFETY

The holiday season can be a busy time of year for house fires due to the increased use of candles, space heaters and extension cords, according to the Clark County Fire Department.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires locally and nationally, and such incidents increase over the holidays, county fire officials said.

The department offers the following tips:

PREVENTING CHRISTMAS TREE FIRES

---Keep Christmas trees away from fireplaces, heaters and other heat sources.

---Select a fresh tree. Needles should be green and not break off easily. The trunk should be sticky.

---Water Christmas trees daily to keep them from drying out.

---Do not keep a live tree up for more than two weeks.

---If you are using an artificial tree, make sure it is flame-retardant.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS AND DECORATIONS

---Inspect holiday lights each year for frayed wires, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets and excessive wear before putting them up.

---Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections.

---Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are for only indoor or outdoor use but not both.

---Use clips, not nails, to hang lights so the cords do not get damaged.

---Limit use of extension cords to temporary uses. They should not serve as a permanent power source for any appliance or stationary device.

---Never run extension cords under rugs or furniture.

---Do not overload electrical outlets. Link no more than three light strands, unless the directions indicate it is safe.

---Do not leave holiday lights on unattended.

---Choose decorations that are flame-resistant or flame-retardant.

---Never dispose of wrapping paper in a fireplace.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/clarkcountyfire.

POSTER CONTEST OPEN TO FIFTH-GRADERS

Nevada Child Seekers and the U.S. Department of Justice are sponsoring a Missing Children's Day poster contest open to all fifth-graders.

The winner will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., for an award ceremony. The contest's theme is, "Bring Our Missing Children Home." The deadline for entries is Jan. 28.

For more information, email carole@ nevadachildseekers.org.

FREE HELMETS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO YOUTHS AT SKI RESORT DURING LIDS ON KIDS EVENT

The Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort and Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center plan to distribute free helmets to youths during the seventh annual Lids on Kids safety education campaign from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday through Feb. 2.

Trained Lids on Kids volunteers will fit toddlers through preteens for a helmet. Children and their parents will participate in a short education program presented by members of National Ski Patrol to learn and understand the skier/snowboarder code of safety and responsibility.

The free program coincides with the National Ski Area Association Safety Week, Jan. 14-22, and Learn to Ski/Snow Month in January. The program launched in 2006 after a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report that said wearing a helmet while skiing or snowboarding could prevent or reduce the severity of 53 percent of head injuries for those younger than 15.

To date, the ski resort has provided more than 1,000 free helmets to local youths, with more than 300 given out in the 2011-12 season. Last year the resort received the National Ski Areas Association's National Ski Area Safety Award for the program.

DESIGNATED DRIVER PLEDGE ON DISPLAY

Residents are welcome to sign a banner at Las Vegas City Hall to show their commitment to preventing drunken driving.

Signatures represent a pledge to have a designated driver on hand while out drinking. The banner is set to be on display from 8 to 5 p.m. through Thursday outside of city council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 495 S. Main St. Pens are available for those who wish to add their signatures.

For more information, visit lasvegasnevada.gov or call 702-229-6011.

WINTER PARKING RESTRICTIONS IN EFFECT ON MOUNT CHARLESTON

The Nevada Department of Transportation has implemented parking restrictions during the winter travel season from December through March on Mount Charleston.

Due to the number of visitors in the area on the weekends and holidays, motorists are not be allowed to park or walk on the roadways. "No parking" signs will be placed throughout Kyle and Lee canyons. The Metropolitan Police Department and the Nevada Highway Patrol will enforce the restrictions.

Parking will be eliminated on the transportation department's right-of-way on state Route 157 from state Route 158 to the Mount Charleston Lodge and on state Route 156 from the Meadows to the Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort and by the fire station in Lee Canyon.

In areas where parking is allowed - the Resort on Mount Charleston, the U.S. Forest Service parking lots/land and east of state Route 158 - vehicles must park in spaces or off the road. Wheels must be to the right of the white lines to prevent damage to vehicles and to allow medical, police and fire personnel to respond to emergencies. Vehicles parked over the white lines, in no-parking zones or that otherwise impede the flow of traffic will be ticketed and towed. Fines begin at $190. Visitors should also must refrain from playing or parking on private property, residential areas or sites marked as closed. Trespassing fines begin at $150.

Motorists who stop in travel lanes to put snow chains on their tires will be cited.

The restrictions are part of the transportation department's public safety outreach efforts.

For more information about the restrictions, visit nevadadot.com.

BURN FOUNDATION RAISES FUNDS TO ASSIST CATASTROPHE VICTIMS

The Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation hosted a Seventies Stayin' Alive karaoke competition and fundraiser Dec. 8 at Rí Rá Irish Pub in Mandalay Place to benefit the foundation's efforts to assist victims of fire and other catastrophic events.

The event included a singing competition featuring costumes, drink specials, giveaways and more. Participants and guests were encouraged to don 1970s attire for a chance to win a prize for the best-dressed attendee.

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 to help care for victims of fires and other catastrophes.

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

For more information on the foundation, visit theburnfoundation.org.

EARL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECEIVES GIFTS FROM FOUNDATION

The Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation donated gifts to students at Earl Elementary School, 1463 Marion Drive, Dec. 19 as part of its annual Fill the Fire Truck toy drive.

Last year, more than 18,000 gifts were donated to underprivileged students through the toy drive.

DEL SOL HIGH SCHOOL WINS ANTI-BULLYING CHALLENGE

Del Sol High School, 3100 E. Patrick Lane, won the Flip the Script Challenge for its submission on how the school plans to combat bullying and implement anti-bullying programs.

Students attended an on-campus concert Dec. 12 during the last period of school for winning the challenge.

Flip the Script is a campaign started by local organizations to combat bullying.

For more information, visit flipthescriptnow.org.