Area Briefing, Dec. 18-24, 2014

RAILROAD POLICE MONITOR GRADE CROSSINGS

The Union Pacific Railroad Police and area law enforcement officers recently took train rides to observe motorists’ behavior at highway-railroad grade crossings in an effort to educate the public about grade crossing and pedestrian safety.

The effort was part of the Union Pacific’s Crossing Accident Reduction Education and Safety program, which entails outreach and community events to raise awareness.

Activities include grade-crossing enforcement with local, county and state law enforcement agencies; safety trains that provide local officials a firsthand look at what locomotive engineers see daily while they operate trains through communities; and communication blitzes that educate the community at events or via media outreach.

For more information, visit up.com.

POLICE BUILDINGS NAMED FOR FORMER SHERIFFS

Three buildings at the Metropolitan Police Department’s headquarters, 400 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., were dedicated Dec. 4 in honor of three former sheriffs.

The buildings include plaques bearing the honorees’ names: Sheriffs Ralph Lamb (1961-1978), John McCarthy (1978-1982) and Bill Young (2003-2007).

Their contributions to the Las Vegas community include the consolidation of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the Las Vegas Police Department into the Metropolitan Police Department, the new Clark County Detention Center and the More Cops tax.

For more information, visit lvmpd.com.

TIPS FOR HOLIDAY LIGHTS AIMED AT SAFETY, CONSERVATION

NV Energy recommends various holiday lighting conservation and safety tips for residents.

— Switch to safe, long-lasting, energy-efficient LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights when possible.

— Use a timer to reliably turn off lights during daylight and other specified times.

— Don’t overload your electric circuits. Check fuses or circuit breaker panels to see what your home can handle and stay within the limits.

— Adhere to manufacturer’s designations and locations of use (indoor vs. outdoor).

— Outdoor lighting should have insulated electrical cords and be plugged into a ground fault interrupter-protected receptacle only.

— Don’t run extension cords under rugs, around furniture legs or across doorways.

— Keep all plugs and connectors off the ground, away from puddles and sprinklers.

— Make sure there’s a bulb in each socket of a light string, even if it is burned out.

— Keep your natural tree well-watered to prevent bulbs from igniting dry branches. Never use electrical decorations on metal trees.

— Ensure the electrical setup is safe from small children and pets.

For more information, visit nvenergy.com.

FIRE OFFICIALS REMIND HOLIDAY COOKS TO BE CAREFUL

The Clark County Fire Department recently issued a reminder for residents to use caution while doing their holiday cooking.

About 19 percent of residential fires in Clark County were related to cooking in 2013, with frying posing the highest risk and unattended cooking the leading cause of the blazes, according to the department.

The department’s safety tips include:

— Young children should remain out of cooking areas.

— Position grills, fryers and other outdoor cooking devices away from walls, siding, deck railings, eaves and branches.

— When deep-frying turkeys, do it away from combustible items. Use only an approved turkey fryer with a built-in thermostat. Make sure the fryer cannot tip over, a common cause of fires.

— Keep flammable materials such as oven mitts and towels away from the stove or cooking device.

— Do not cook while consuming alcohol.

— Don’t forget to turn off your oven, fryer, barbecue and stove-top burners.

— Every kitchen should have a working, multipurpose fire extinguisher with an ABC rating.

— For small stove-top fires, turn off the burner and place a lid on the pan or pot to smother it when safe to do so.

— For an oven fire, turn off the heat. Keep the oven door closed to smother and extinguish the fire.

— Do not use water to extinguish a grease or oil fire. It will cause the burning grease to splash from the pan and spread the fire. Turn off the stove, fryer or propane tank supply valve, and use a lid, baking soda or a fire extinguisher on the flames.

For more information, visit clarkcountynv.gov/depts/fire or call 702-455-7311.

FILL THE FIRE TRUCK TOY DRIVE UNDERWAY

The Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation kicked off its annual Fill the Fire Truck toy drive Dec. 2 at Findlay Chevrolet, 6800 S. Torrey Pines Drive.

The drive, put on with the United Citizens Foundation, is planned through Dec. 21. Residents can drop off new, unwrapped toys or gift cards at any Clark County fire station. The toys are set to be distributed to valley children through area agencies, churches and nonprofits.

The Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation includes personnel from Las Vegas Fire & Rescue and the Clark County, Henderson, Nellis and North Las Vegas fire departments.

The United Citizens Foundation helps ensure that those in need receive food and other basic necessities.

For fire station locations, visit tinyurl.com/fillthefiretruck. For other additional information, visit theburnfoundation.org or unitedcitizensfoundation.com.

HOLIDAYS WARRANT EXTRA VIGILANCE AT THE MALL

To ensure that family members don’t get lost in the shuffle at the mall and become vulnerable to danger, the National Crime Prevention Council suggests various precautions during the holiday shopping season.

— Use AlertID’s free McGruff mobile app to receive notifications about registered sex offenders living and working in the vicinity of shopping venues.

— Carry your purse close to your body or your wallet inside a coat or front pocket.

— Tell a security guard or store employee if you see an unattended bag or package.

— Have your keys in hand when approaching your vehicle. Check the back seat and around the car before getting in.

— Do not leave packages visible in your car. Lock them in the trunk or take them directly home.

— If you are shopping with children, make a plan in case you are separated from one another, and select a central meeting place.

— Let children know they can seek help from mall personnel or store security employees.

— Have children keep your cellphone number handy.

— Keep up-to-date photos and accurate descriptions of each child electronically with AlertID’s My Family Wallet, available via the AlertID mobile app.

For more information, visit ncpc.org or alertid.com.

FREE RADON TEST KITS TO BE AVAILABLE

Free radon test kits are set to be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Feb. 28 at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, 8050 Paradise Road, in honor of National Radon Action Month in January.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can accumulate in buildings and cause lung cancer.

When a home is closed up during colder months, radon concentrations typically increase, making winter an ideal time to test a home for radon, according to the Cooperative Extension.

Radon education programs are planned statewide in January and are set to be announced later. The Cooperative Extension offers radon presentations for schools, civic and community groups, homeowners associations, Realtors, builders and the general public.

To schedule a presentation, contact education coordinator Jamie Roice-Gomes at 775-336-0252 or roicej@unce.unr.edu.

For more information, visit radonnv.com or call the radon hotline at 888-723-6610.

HOLIDAY OIL RECYCLING PROGRAM TO START

Residents can recycle their holiday cooking oil by dropping it off from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 26 through Jan. 15 in the south parking lot at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd.

Oil can be funnelled into its original container, sealed and placed in a collection receptacle at the site.

The holiday cooking oil recycling program is a component of the Clark County Water Reclamation District’s Pain in the Drain campaign, which aims to keep sewers free of blockages and overflows caused by oil, fat and grit.

For more information, visit paininthedrain.com.

FREE MONTHLY SAFETY FORUMS PLANNED AT MOB MUSEUM

The Mob Museum, 300 E. Stewart Ave., plans free community safety forums monthly from 1-2 p.m. Saturdays.

The museum is partnering with the Metropolitan Police Department for the series. This year’s remaining forum is scheduled from 1-2 p.m. Dec. 20, covering auto theft.

Forums planned in 2015 are: Jan. 17, vice/human trafficking; Feb. 21, elder exploitation; March 21, homeless liaison presentation; April 18, narcotics; May 16, robbery; June 20, traffic awareness; July 18, gang awareness; Aug. 15, district attorney court procedures; Sept. 19, K-9 operations; Oct. 17, missing persons; Nov. 21, Metro volunteer program; and Dec. 19, emergency preparedness.

For more information, call 702-229-2734 or visit themobmuseum.org.