Area briefing
WASHINGTON AVENUE CONSTRUCTION
TO CONTINUE THROUGH MAY
City of Las Vegas crews are scheduled to work on median island improvements through May 24 on Washington Avenue between Las Vegas Boulevard and Bruce Street.
The improvements will consist of grading, adding decorative rock and the installation of decorative metal structures.
Work is set to be conducted from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, the city said. During work hours, the inside lanes in both directions will be closed to traffic, according to the city.
Bonanza Road and Owens Avenue are recommended as alternative routes.
RED CROSS SEEKS VOLUNTEERS
TO HELP TRANSPORT BLOOD
The American Red Cross said it needs volunteers to help transport blood from collection sites to processing centers and local hospitals.
Couriers must drive and be dependable, read and follow maps and work well with others.
The American Red Cross relies on 500,000 volunteers who represent 94 percent of the American Red Cross’ workforce nationwide.
For more information, contact Vickie Morgan at 801-892-4011 or vickie.
morgan@redcross.org.
LAS VEGAS FIRE & RESCUE
INTERIM CHIEF REPLACED
Former Clark County Fire Chief Steven Smith has temporarily taken the reins of Las Vegas Fire & Rescue due to interim Fire Chief Scott Fuller’s recent National Guard deployment to Afghanistan.
Fuller became interim chief following the Feb. 7 retirement of Mike Myers.
Smith served as fire chief of the Clark County Fire Department from 2005-10. He is scheduled to head Las Vegas Fire & Rescue through June 30.
The city of Las Vegas is recruiting a new chief, and a candidate is expected to be appointed to the position no later than July 1, with interviews tentatively scheduled for mid-May.
RESIDENTS ASKED TO BE PROACTIVE
DURING WILDFIRE AWARENESS WEEK
Nevada Wildfire Awareness Week kicks off Saturday , and the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is asking residents to reduce fuel around homes and other structures to help prevent wildfires.
Three factors come into play during wildfires: weather, including humidity level, wind speeds and air temperature; topography, including steepness and positions of slopes; and fuel.
The factors determine the ease in which a wildfire will start, its direction, how fast it will travel, the length of its flames and how difficult it will be to suppress.
Events are planned across the state by local, state and federal firefighting agencies to raise awareness.
For a list of Wildfire Awareness Week events in Nevada, including one set for 7 a.m. to noon May 9 at the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area visitor center, visit livingwithfire.info and click on the Wildfire Awareness Week link.
ENTERTAINERS JOIN STATE OFFICIALS
FOR SAFE DRIVING CAMPAIGN
The Blue Man Group Las Vegas, the Nevada Department of Public Safety and the Nevada Department of Transportation have joined forces to promote safe driving in honor of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, observed in April.
The campaign encourages drivers to eliminate distractions, such as inappropriate cellphone usage. The campaign includes public service announcements to raise awareness about the issue.
Residents who use hand-held devices while driving are four times as likely to get into serious accidents, according to distraction.gov, which also states that 3,331 people were killed and 387,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2011.
For more information, visit blueman.com/drivesafe or zerofatalitiesnv.com/focus.php.
BOARD ISSUES CONSUMER ALERT REGARDING FRAUDULENT CONTRACTORS
Nevadans should watch out for groups of con artists moving west who are likely to be seen driving through neighborhoods soliciting home improvement services, according to a recent consumer alert from the Nevada State Contractors Board.
The groups, called travelers, are known for initiating home improvement scams and soliciting asphalt paving or roofing projects, the board said. Travelers often approach homeowners working in their front yards and by door-to-door solicitations. Their vehicles are usually new, clean and loaded with supplies.
Travelers often claim they have performed work for others in the neighborhood and have extra materials that could be used to fix a similar problem for the next homeowner. They install inferior materials using shoddy workmanship and leave town before victims realize they have been scammed, according to the board.
Residents should always ask for a business card and contractors’ license numbers. They can also check the board’s website at nvcontractorsboard.com or call the Nevada State Contractors Board at 702-486-1100 to confirm if a license number is legitimate.
Unlicensed or suspicious contractors can be reported via the board’s hot line at 702-486-1160.
FEMA RECOGNIZES LOCAL EFFORTS
TO INCREASE FLOOD SAFETY
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has upgraded the city of Las Vegas to a Class 5 Insurance Service Office rating when it comes to flood preparedness.
The designation means city residents are eligible for a 25 percent discount on their flood insurance premiums effective Oct. 1, city officials said.
Under FEMA’s community rating system, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reward community actions that reduce flood damage to insurable properties, strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program and encourage a comprehensive approach to flood plain management, the city said.
The ratings upgrade pushes the city of Las Vegas into the top 5 percent of communities in terms of flood preparedness.
For more information, visit regionalflood.org or call the Clark County Regional Flood Control District at 702-685-0000.
RESIDENTS REMINDED TO CALL 811
BEFORE EXCAVATION PROJECTS
In honor of National Safe Digging Month in April, Southwest Gas Corp. reminds homeowners and contractors to call 811 a few days before starting any digging or underground excavation project so utility-owned lines can be properly marked and avoided.
The free call is aimed at helping prevent injuries and unnecessary expenses.
Other tips for digging include:
n Consider moving a project’s location if it is near utility line markings.
n Respect the marks and hand dig within 24 inches of natural gas pipelines.
n If a contractor has been hired, confirm that a call to 811 has been made. Do not allow work to begin if the lines aren’t marked.
n Anyone who notices a hissing noise coming from the ground or an above-ground pipeline or the smell of rotten eggs should leave the area immediately and call police at 911 and Southwest Gas Corp. at 800-447-5422.
For more information on National Safe Digging Month, visit call811.com/faqs.
GROUND-LEVEL OZONE ADVISORY IN EFFECT
Ozone season began this month in the valley, and the Clark County Department of Air Quality has issued an ozone advisory through September.
Warmer weather and levels of pollutants can trigger a build-up of ground-level ozone during the afternoon, the department said.
Unhealthy doses of ground-level ozone can reduce lung function and worsen respiratory illnesses such as asthma or bronchitis. Ozone also can induce coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath — even in healthy people. When ozone levels are elevated, officials suggest limiting strenuous outdoor activity.
Air quality officials said they will monitor conditions while the advisory is in effect and notify the public of any alerts.
Residents can sign up for free text and email advisories for air quality at enviroflash.org.
Residents can help reduce ground-level ozone by:
n Filling their gas tanks after sunset.
n Conducting errands in one trip.
n Avoiding spilling gasoline and topping off their gas tanks.
n Keeping their cars well-maintained.
n Using mass transit or carpooling.
n Avoiding idling their car engine.
n Walking or riding their bikes when practical and safe.
n Driving an electric or hybrid vehicle or a low-emission scooter or motorcycle.
n Turning off lights and electronics when not in use.
n Using low-maintenance landscaping that uses less water and doesn’t require gas-powered lawn tools.
ANNUAL FLOAT-LIKE-A-DUCK EVENT
TO PROMOTE DROWNING PREVENTION
Floating lessons for kids and water safety tips will be available during Paragon Pools’ 10th annual Float Like A Duck event, set for 1 to 4 p.m. May 25 at the Bill & Lillie Heinrich YMCA Water Sports Park, 4141 Meadows Lane.
The event is slated to feature exhibits, hands-on activities, floating classes, open swimming and appearances by Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem Stavros Anthony and local news personalities Ted Pretty, Heidi Hayes and Bryan Scofield.
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue plans to have a firetruck on display. Paragon Pools water safety mascot Duckie and the Metropolitan Police Department’s McGruff the Crime Dog also are scheduled to attend the free event. Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent.
For more information, visit paragonpoolslv.com/floatlikeaduck
watersafety.htm.
