Fire Prevention Week takes place during October 5-11, and during this time cities and towns in Arizona are dedicated to educating the public about fire safety. During Fire Prevention Week professionals devote their time to teaching the public about the causes of fire, how to prevent this from happening, and how to be prepared in case of an emergency.

The National Fire Protection Association has designed Fire Prevention Week to be useful for all ages. In 1871 a huge Chicago fire killed more than 250 people and left 100,000 citizens without homes. This tragedy is the reason that Fire Prevention Week exists, and this week continues to raise awareness to our communities.

Nearly all of Arizona’s cities and towns are holding events to participate in and recognize National Fire Prevention Week.

The city of Tucson has been talking with citizens all week, teaching them the importance of smoke alarms. Here is a clip of Captain Barrett Baker of the Tucson Fire Department on a local news station, discussing how to check smoke alarms: http://www.jrn.com/kgun9/shows/the-morning-blend/video/tucsonfiredepartment-278479661.html

The city of Tempe has been holding workshops at the Tempe Public Library to teach citizens how to install fire detectors and have storytimes for children to learn about fire safety. In addition, the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department will be having a special event on Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Tempe Fire Training Center. For more info, click here: http://www.tempe.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3108/

The city of Avondale and many other valley cities also held open houses at their fire stations, so the community could visit with firefighters, see the fire trucks and learn about the importance of preventing fires.

Fire Prevention Week is designed to make our communities safer. It is important to continue spreading awareness and providing our community with the useful information they need to continue being educated and prepared.  Find an upcoming event or training in a city or town near you or visit the National Fire Protection Association to brush up on your fire safety tips.

Avondale is a city full of great people who deserve a round of applause. Recently, two individuals who work for the city were recognized for their outstanding service and dedication to the Avondale community.

Avondale Fire Chief Paul Adams was inducted into the Arizona Fire Service Hall of Fame.

Established in1998, the Arizona Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made a significant, positive contribution to the fire service and their community and which brings credit to the fire service. Individuals nominated are evaluated based on their years of service, service on committees, state and national impact, educational impact, operational impact, contributions to community, organizational impact, legislative impact or other areas that clearly demonstrate the individuals contribution to Arizona’s Fire Service.

The honor was presented during the opening ceremony of the 41^st annual Arizona Fire School. Paul Adams presently serves as Fire Chief for the City of Avondale, Arizona, a position he has held since November of 1996.  His illustrious career began in his home state of Nebraska, as a fire volunteer in 1969.  A career dedicated to service in the fire service eventually brought him to Arizona, when he was hired as Avondale Fire Chief.

This week, Avondale City Clerk Carmen Martinez, earned the prestigious designation of Master Municipal Clerk (MCC).  MMC is awarded by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, Inc., which grants the designation only to those municiopal clerks to complete demanding education requirements and who have a record of significant contributions to their local government, community and state. Carmen Martinez, Avondale’s City Clerk, has earned the prestigious designation of Master Municipal Clerk, or MMC, which is awarded by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, Inc. (IIMC).

“Carmen Martinez has worked hard to achieve this designation and it is a testament to the caliber of professionals we are fortunate to have in Avondale,” said Avondale City Manager, David Fitzhugh.

Carmen Martinez is qualified by over 16 years of municipal clerk experience.   She has served City of Avondale since 2002.

Congratulations, Chief Adams and Carmen Martinez!

Arizona’s cities and towns are constantly working to ensure the safety of their citizens. To continue their focus on safety, especially for those younger citizens, many cities and towns in Arizona will be participating in the nationwide Child Passenger Safety Week.

Child Passenger Safety Week will be held September 14-20 in an effort to inform parents and caregivers of the proper safety measures that need to be taken when transporting children.

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1-13. These incidents can many times be prevented with the proper use of car seats, booster seats and seat belts. Saturday, Sept. 14 is “Seat Check Saturday,” a national day devoted to ensuring children’s car seats are properly installed.

The Surprise Police and Fire-Medical Departments will be hosting two child safety seat clinics to provide information on the different types of child passenger safety seats and educate the public on proper installation of the seats. The city’s clinics will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 20 from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. at Surprise Fire Station #305. For more information, visit www.surpriseaz.gov/carseat.

Other cities and towns host regular car seat checks. The City of Chandler will be holding a car seat clinic each Saturday in September. The City of Buckeye, City of Mesa , City of Scottsdale and City of Sierra Vista are just a few others who regularly hold free car seat checks.

To find an upcoming seat check event near you, visit www.azgohs.gov or contact your local city or town.

Nothing beats spending a summer day biking on a trail, playing in a park, or swimming in a refreshing pool.

During the summer months, we can’t get away from the outdoors. That’s why, as designated by the U.S. House of Representatives, Park and Recreation Month is being celebrated nationwide in the month of July.

Some Arizona cities that aren’t formally celebrating Park and Recreation month in July will instead be celebrating at a later time when the temperature cools down.

This year the National Recreation and Park Association has encouraged communities to show and share the love parks and recreation with a 2014 theme of “OUT is IN,” making this the year that people go outside, change their outlook, and get involved in their community through parks and recreation.

We love what Queen Creek is doing for Park and Recreation Month and hope other cities and towns follow suit.

Queen Creek opened the community’s first dog park and first splash pad to celebrate the special summer month.  The town recently held a grand opening celebration for Queen Creek’s Pocket Park for Pups, located at 22526 S. Ellsworth Road. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the 4,100-square-foot Splash Pad will take place at Founders Park, 22555 S. Ellsworth Road, at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 5.

Queen Creek’s Mayor Gail Barney says these unique features will “help increase [Queen Creek’s] property values, expand the local tax base, increase tourism and the attraction and retention of businesses, greatly improve community healthy and reduce the amount of crime in Queen Creek.”

Is your city or town celebrating Park and Recreation Month in a momentous way? We want to hear about it! Be sure to leave a comment about what your city is doing, today!

For more details other activities Queen Creek is offering throughout the month of July, visit QueenCreek.org/Recreation

It’s National Safety Month. To help kick off this month, Glendale is launching a campaign designed to reinforce safety messages during the summer. The campaign is called Operation: Safe Summer and it culminates with a public event at Westgate on June 20.

There are several departments that will offer programs and events to remind residents of their mission: to keep the city’s residents safe with an outstanding quality of life. These departments include the Police and Fire Departments, the Transportation Services Department and Parks, Recreation and Library Services.

With a dedicated website and logo, the campaign features a different safety message each week, covering timely summer topics such as kids out of school for the summer, children being home alone and out riding bicycles more often, heat-related issues, vacation and travel safety, BBQ and fireworks precautions, and of course, water and pool safety. Information will be distributed through public facilities in Glendale and at certain events, as well.

The public event will be held on June 20,  6:30-8:30 p.m., called “Surviving the Summer,” at Westgate Entertainment District, 6770 N. Sunrise Blvd. Held in the shopping center’s Fountain Park, this free event will feature a variety of agencies and vendors to educate residents on water and sun safety and much more.

For more information on the event and the Operation: Safe Summer campaign, including great tips and resources you can take advantage of, visit www.glendaleaz.com/safesummer.

The town of Prescott Valley Police Department is back on bikes.

At least some officers are. As part of the PVPD bike patrol, officers trade in their typical cruisers for bikes, part of the time.

The Prescott Valley program was originally started in 1997 by current Sergeants Scott Stebbins and Brandon Bonney. Stebbins started his stint as a bike patrol officer soon after he graduated from the Northern Arizona Regional Training Academy in Prescott Valley. He patrolled in a vehicle for eight months and then joined the bike patrol.Stebbins said that while on a bike, officers are able to observe and react to things they may not see from their patrol cars.

It’s also easier to connect to the public, he said.

“The bikes are a great community policing tool to meet citizens,” Stebbins said. “When you’re on a bike, people come up and talk.”

The first PVPD bike patrol was active for almost two and half years until the economy and a growing Prescott Valley necessitated more officers on the streets in a patrol car. Those needs coupled with the recession kept the bikes garaged.

Officer Stebbins with his bike

Stebbins never lost his passion for the program. Eager to see the bike patrol continue, Stebbins recently obtained authorization for certified officers to carry their bikes on their patrol cars.  The department has certified 11 officers in bike patrol. Two of the officers, Stebbins and Officer Jason Lohman, have logged another 40 hours of advanced training.

These officers can park their car and ride in a patrol area. To maintain the ability to quickly respond to another incident if needed, they stay within a five minute ride back to their vehicle.

Police Chief Bryan Jarrell, who also is a trained police cyclist, voiced the value of the program.

“I have experienced the tremendous benefit to having police officers on bikes,” Jarrell said. “We saw police officers ride right up to people who were doing drug transactions and didn’t realize it was the police.”

Training for the bike patrol is grueling. Officers complete 40 hours of instruction on a broad range of skills and topics, including long ride physical endurance, obstacle courses with steps, curbs and seesaws, timed cone drills, shooting after a hard ride, using a bike to control suspects, and even traffic stops. Stebbins once made a DUI arrest after chasing down an admittedly slow moving impaired driver on his bike.

“It’s an effective tool and just one more approach we can rely on to serve this community the most efficient way possible,” Jarrell said.

Smithsonian Exhibit Journey Stories

The Smithsonian Exhibit “Journey Stories” is here to stay until April 5th, and residents of Sierra Vista are loving it.

Culture influences, automobile evolution, and what has driven Americans from coast to coast are just a few of the engaging topics covered at this unique presentation, which is open Monday-Saturday, free of charge, at the city’s Henry F. Hauser Museum.

The idea that “everyone has a story” is a central theme of Journey Stories. The tales of travel to America-whether in hopes of a better life, by force, or original settlement-carry significant impact in the country’s history and formation, and the continuing diversification of its modern-day culture.

The Exhibit is a collaboration between both the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils, and is made possible by Arizona Humanities Council. It has been displayed in nearly 100 communities located in 18 different states. Nancy Krieski, the Hauser Museum curator, was quite instrumental in pulling together the countless events and activities complementing the exhibit on its opening day. Engaging speakers, a variety educational entertainment, and local storytelling were among a lengthy list of other complementary attractions residents enjoyed on February 22. Krieski expressed gratitude and appreciation of volunteers and donors that made a memorable opening day possible.

Those who missed the excitement from the February exhibit opening needn’t worry, as there are a variety of complementary events scheduled until the end of March. Aviation & Military Enthusiasts will love the presentation of Douglas Army Air Field, previously “one of Arizona’s largest and most important training bases.” Railroad buffs will appreciate the upcoming “tales and truths” session about railroads in Cochise County, set to take place on March 15. A tour and presentation of the unique Camp Naco historic site will happen on March 29, and a delightful “Children’s Music Maker” workshop is scheduled for March 30.

For more information, call the Museum at 439.2306 or visit www.SierraVistaAZ.gov.

Phoenix City Clerk Cris Meyer was named the 2013 Clerk of the Year by the Arizona Municipal Clerks’ Association (AMCA) at its annual conference..  The Municipal Clerk of the Year award is given annually to a deserving candidate selected by the AMCA’s Executive Board to recognize an AMCA member who has made significant contributions to the profession.  In addition to advising clerks across the state, Meyer serves as the AMCA Legislative Committee Chair and does training on campaign finance law at each annual elections conference.

“Cris consistently finds new and improved ways of serving the public,” said former Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos.  “Those innovations have become models for other local governments.  He is a tremendous asset to the city of Phoenix and is well-deserving of this honor.”

Meyer has been involved in Phoenix elections in various capacities since he joined the city in 1985 and has participated in conducting more than 30 elections.  He has managed the development and implementation of Phoenix’s successful early voting by mail program that now accounts for more than 90 percent of all ballots cast.  Most recently, he managed the launch of the city’s innovative voting centers, which is the first in the nation to offer three days of voting, with one of those days being a Saturday.

He is the recipient of several public service awards, including the Governor’s Excellence Award in 1994 for coordinating a state interagency effort to better handle child support cases.  He also received a City Excellence Award in 2011 and 1997.

Meyer has a law degree from the University of Illinois and is a member of the Bar in Arizona and Illinois.  Prior to joining the city of Phoenix, he worked as a law clerk in federal district court and as assistant attorney general in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Mesa City Manager Chris Brady at “Celebrate Mesa” event with wife Shawna and daughter Whitney

At the Arizona City/County Management Association’s Winter Conference Awards Ceremony, Mesa City Manager Chris Brady  was awarded the John J. Debolske Award, the highest honor that ACMA bestows upon an active Arizona city or county manager.  The namesake of the award, Jack DeBolkse, was the Executive Director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns for 40 years, and was an advocate for the council-manager form of government.

Chris was recognized for his 25 years of service to the local government profession, and most notably his outstanding accomplishments in Mesa by partnering with the Mesa City Council, city staff and our residents in creating transformational projects to build a better Mesa.  As city manager, Chris steered Mesa through some of the most difficult economic times in recent history.  He made certain that Mesa would be in a stronger position to progress during and after the recession. Even during these times, in 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2013 the city was successful in having Mesa voters approve bonds for public safety facilities, utility infrastructure, streets, parks and cultural facilities to enhance the lives of Mesa residents.

Mesa has recently achieved great economic development success in extending light rail through downtown Mesa which will open in 2015 with another 2-mile extension planned to open in 2018;  recruited five liberal arts colleges to Mesa,  housing some of them in once vacant buildings; retained the Chicago Cubs and just opened the new Cubs Spring Training Complex and adjacent spectacular Riverview Park;  came to an agreement with the Oakland Athletics to rehab the Cubs former stadium so they can begin Spring Training in 2015; and brought an Apple manufacturing facility to Mesa. Through Chris’ leadership, these successes have gained Mesa national and international recognition as being tactically bold and forward thinking.

Chris was also recognized for creating a leadership pipeline, fostering the next generation of local government leaders and ensuring the future success of the city of Mesa by developing all levels of the organization. Chris regularly meets with college students to share his expertise, has created internship and full-time employment opportunities for recent college graduates, created the Executive Manager Program which rotates four city employees per year through the city manager’s office, and regularly shares Mesa’s best practices with other communities at national and state conferences.

“This is an incredible and unexpected honor.” Brady said, “I have devoted my professional life to public service and my experience in the city of Mesa over the last 8 years has been both challenging and rewarding. The community, city employees and elected officials have worked hard to bring many successful projects and initiatives to fruition.”

Report identifies key performance metrics; promotes transparency and opportunities for increased efficiency

The town of Gilbert is pleased to present its first benchmark report, which is available online at http://www.gilbertaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=2862. Created as a component of the town’s performance management strategy, the report includes 83 measures across 17 departments, utilizing a total of 33 benchmarks in 15 states. Ten Arizona communities are listed as benchmarks.

Navigating the Report
Page 11 provides a map of the benchmark communities in each state; pages 12-15 include a matrix of the benchmarks and departments, as well as some high-level comparative data, such as median home value and per capita income. Department benchmarks begin on page 17.

Benchmark Uses and Benefit to Citizens
Benchmarks provide greater context to municipal operations and are a valuable tool in gauging performance. They allow a city or town to look outside its four walls to examine how it compares to other municipalities of similar size and function. Similarly, benchmarks offer citizens perspective on the various services their city or town provides. For example: How many acres of developed parks are in each community? What are average response times for fire and emergency services? How do local sales tax rates compare? What would an average monthly water bill cost?

These measures and many more are included in the report.

For the town of Gilbert, benchmarks were also designed to identify not only where the town is excelling, but also where the organization might look to incorporate demonstrated successes and process improvements that other organizations have explored.

As other cities and towns explore similar efforts, each will be able to share data and compare operations – all with the ultimate goal of determining the services and offerings that are best fit for each community. To that end, the town of Gilbert is a member of the Valley Benchmarking Cities group through the Alliance for Innovation and ASU, a group comprised of several Phoenix metropolitan area cities that meet monthly to share and discuss performance metric data. The member cities have been a tremendous help in sharing data and providing feedback on the Gilbert report. The town looks forward to continuing its work with this group.

Through these and other efforts, the town of Gilbert’s performance management strategy drives the organization to continually seek new opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services.

Questions? Comments? Visit http://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/management-budget.