Ft. Worth Community Relations
City of Fort Worth Community Relations Department |
Looking for a Few Good Rangers The Code Ranger program is a neighborhood involvement initiative that trains citizen volunteers to identify and report code violations. Since its inception in 2003, the program has boasted voluntary abatement rates of nearly 75 percent, in its fight to reduce urban blight in Fort Worth. Upon completion of the course, Rangers begin patrolling the streets of their neighborhood and reporting specific code violations. Once a Ranger report is received, the Code Compliance Department sends a courtesy notice to the owner of the property asking that it be voluntarily abated. Rangers then conduct a follow-up inspection, and if the violation is corrected, the case is closed. If not, the case is assigned to a code enforcement officer for normal processing. Rangers patrol their neighborhoods for such violations as: * Accumulation of trash and other debris These violations carry potential fines from $200 to $2,000. Those interested in attending this class must RSVP no later than 5 p.m., May 5. To enroll or get more information on the Code Ranger program, please call Doretha Brewer at 817-392-6573, or call the Code Hotline at 817-392-1234. City Encourages Residents to Take Advantage of Free CPR Classes In an effort to help Fort Worth residents gain life-saving CPR skills, the City of Fort Worth Public Health Department provides free American Heart Association Family and Friends CPR classes the first Thursday of every month. The classes are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Public Health Center, 1800 University Drive , Room 116. The February class will take place Feb. 7. Classes are for residents 10 years of age and older. Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult or legal guardian. According to the American Heart Association, about 75 to 80 percent of all sudden cardiac arrests happen at home, so being trained to perform CPR can mean the difference between life and death for a loved one. American Heart Association Family and Friends CPR program allows families, friends and the general public - who most likely would not attend a traditional CPR course - to learn the core skills of CPR. It uses a unique "watch and do" method where participants practice CPR on an inflatable mannequin while watching these skills being taught and performed. These classes are not for certification. Anyone who needs a CPR class for certification should contact their local American Heart Association or the American Red Cross. To register or for more information on the classes, call the CPR message line at 817-871-6237. That's why city leaders are asking for citizens' help. They're the city's primary source of outage reports. "We need neighborhoods to tell us when lights are out or malfunctioning," says Robert Goode, Transportation and Public Works director. "The City has 37 staff to perform all maintenance on our street-light inventory. If we are to keep the lights burning, we need residents, police and people driving the streets to report outages." Residents are asked to report street light outages and malfunctions by calling 817-392-8100 or online at http/www.fortworthgov.org/applications/tpwcrf. Fort Worth has more than 60,000 street lights that must be maintained. Malfunctions include burned out lamps, lights working intermittently, lights burning during daylight hours or knocked down poles. Last year, crews replaced 127 poles, performed 91 circuit repairs and replaced 4,684 lamps. And if citizens report a burned out light, they should be patient. Repairs can take three to 14 days. If you are interested in learning more about trees and are willing to volunteer to help care for and maintain the public trees in your town, then Citizen Forester is for you! The Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council (CTUFC) is now accepting applications for the Citizen Forester 2008 training class. Participants will receive 36 combined hours of classroom instruction and "hands-on" field training. Training sessions will be held at various locations in Fort Worth from 9 am - 4pm on the following six Wednesdays: January 30, February 20, March 19, April 16, April 30 and May 21. The Citizen Forester program presents a wonderful opportunity for individuals to become skilled at planting, pruning, and maintaining trees in an urban environment. It also provides interested persons with the chance to get involved with local city and county agencies and help their community take care of its public trees. Topics include identification of recommended native and adapted trees, proper hands-on planting and pruning experience, benefits of trees, tree risk assessment, conducting tree inventories, common insect and disease pests of trees, and other relevant urban forestry topics. With the skills acquired through the program and through the guidance of Parks and Recreation employees, Citizen Foresters are making lasting contributions to community forests throughout North Texas . In exchange for their training, Citizen Forester volunteers provide a minimum of 25 hours of community service to their local town, city or county towards projects that involve trees on public property. Forty-six Citizen Foresters have completed the program since its inception in 2006 and have proven to be an invaluable resource to municipalities striving to stay abreast of public tree management. In a relatively short time period, these dedicated volunteers have provided over 1,400 volunteer hours towards: In partnership with CTUFC, the City of Fort Worth organizes and hosts the training program. Cross Timbers members throughout the Metroplex assist in supervising field training exercises and serving as guest speakers. The training class is limited to 25 participants, with each county in the 17-county Cross Timbers region guaranteed one slot. There is $50 registration fee upon acceptance into the program to help defray related program expenses. Limited scholarships are available. Participants are also responsible for out-of-pocket travel and lunch expenses. The deadline to apply for the program is Tuesday, January 15, 2008. For more information or to request an application, call 817-871-5739. Serving 17 counties in North Texas , the Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council (CTUFC) is a non-profit organization charged with the mission to "promote programs in the region to increase interest in urban and community forestry." The CTUFC, www.ctufc.org, began the Citizen Forester program in 2006 with the help of a matching partnership grant from the Texas Forest Service. The Citizen Forester program is open to any interested adult within this 17 county region in North Texas, including Tarrant, Denton, Cooke, Montague, Clay, Wichita, Archer, Young, Stephens, Palo Pinto, Erath, Somervell, Hood, Parker, Jack, Wise and Johnson counties. Contact Info: In order to identify citizens' priorities, a series of meetings have been scheduled to provide information about the bond program and also take feedback from citizens on which projects should be included. A preliminary list of street projects is available on the bond website and will be provided at the meetings for consideration. Citizens may also suggest other street projects by going to the City website and using the online form, or suggest projects via U.S. Mail. General bond information is also available online or will be provided, upon request, at the number below. Location and Dates of Meetings Monday, November 26: R. D. Evans Community Center 3242 Lackland Road For more information, call 817-392-7621. All facilities are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations or sign interpretive services, call 817-392-7621 at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Visit our Web site at http://www.fortworthgov.org/2008bond |
Help For Special Needs Residents During Emergencies The Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP) will provide Fort Worth and Tarrant County emergency responders with vital information about residents with permanent disabilities. Through this unique program, residents are encouraged to register each year with the Office of Emergency Management by providing disability-specific information. Such information may include a need for life support systems or mobility aids. This information will reduce the adverse affects on those with permanent disabilities during an emergency. It will also give residents with special needs the peace of mind knowing first responders are equipped with accurate information to assist during a local disaster. Data compiled for the SNAP program will be confidential for use by emergency response agencies only. Residents can now register with SNAP online at www.snapforyou.org. There will also be opportunities to register in person at various events and locations throughout the city. To find out more about those opportunities, or if you have questions about the SNAP program, please call 817-392-6144. If you or someone in your household has a special need, it's important to incorporate them into your disaster plans. Here are some ways to be prepared:
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