City Testimonials: "I hope that you have received 500 calls saying THANK YOU for the new playground at Bonforte Park! It is a terrific neighborhood park and we so appreciate the improvements. I walk by every day and see so many children and parents enjoying themselves." -Citizen Comment "The crew from Engine 15A were professional, knowledgeable, courteous, and extremely helpful, not only did this group of professionals represent the Fire Department in a positive light, they also speak to a city government that is responsive and courteous to the public."- Citizen Comment "We've found with projects we're doing, the City seems to be as proactive as they possibly can be." -Real Estate CEO "Grateful for the progress made by CSPD to curb shoplifting." -Business Loss Prevention Manager "Not only was my concern addressed in a professional and timely manner, but Finance Planning & Analysis Manager Leslie Hickey took the time to let me know that changes were on the way. This is the direct opposite of some folks' perception of local government." -Citizen Comment "Thank you very much for fixing the potholes on the round about for Squirrel Tail and Brainard as well as the divot by the water outlet on Squirrel Tail towards Musgrave. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" -Citizen Comment "Accounts Payable Supervisor Patti McFarland was true to her word, she called me back within days to give a status report. Then she called again to update me. Then, she called today to let me know she had been able to contact the unreachable tow company, received an invoice, and would be reimbursing the portion the business manager agreed to pay! I know that it was a sustained effort because I tried for several months and got nowhere. I can't express my overwhelming gratitude to Patti and your office for their work in this matter. We run a service-based business and try to learn from other organizations whenever we can. I will bring up this instance at our weekly meeting as an example of good service to be commended and followed.Thanks to you and Patti for the surprisingly positive experience I had with your office." -Local Small Business Owner "Thanks to Traffic Technician Pete Doyle, his community attitude to work with the residents is commendable. Thank you once again." -Citizen Comment "Streets Operations Manager Bard Lower has provided me superb customer service, above and beyond what could reasonably be expected. I know that this has been a priority for your administration, and I felt it important to let you know that it is working. Mr. Lower and his associates deserve kudos for their proactive, thorough handling of this five-year-old snow plowing issue and I am grateful to you as well for making the City more responsive to citizen requests." -Citizen Comment "As a new resident of Colorado Springs, it’s apparent that the City really does excel in taking care of its residents and treats its citizens more like neighbors and friends than just customers on a long “to-do” list. Thank you for all your exceptional service." -Citizen Comment

Fire Department Promotions

May 9, 2012 By

Mayor Steve Bach administered the Oath of Office to eleven employees of the Colorado Springs Fire Department at the Fire Department Complex on Printer’s Parkway. Those promoted included:

Russell Renck Battalion Chief

Gabe Blanco Captain

Jesse Kruckeberg Captain

Joshua Bartlett Lieutenant

Bruce Longton Lieutenant

Greg Iafeliece Lieutenant

Jeremy Kunze Driver Engineer

Jermaine Reed Driver Engineer

Brian Gardner Driver Engineer

Kenneth Anderson Driver Engineer

Jeffry Hanenberg to Fire Code Inspector II

 

The Colorado Springs Fire Department has provided high quality problem solving and emergency service to the Colorado Springs community since 1894. There are 20 fire stations to provide emergency response support that can reach an incident within 8 minutes from the time of the call 90% of the time. The Colorado Springs Fire Department provides fire, medical, public education, code enforcement and wilfire mitigation services.

 

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CAPS Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon

April 30, 2012 By

Hundreds of public safety volunteers were honored for their public safety service, including the surprise announcement and presentation of our Community Advancing Public Safety {CAPS} Volunteer of the Year award.

CAPS - Community Advancing Public Safety“We need more people like you.  I thank you for all you do! God bless you,” said Mayor Bach.

“The workforce is extraordinary,” said Police Chief Pete Carey. Carey went on to explain how volunteer work in the Violent Crimes unit alone saved “$30,000 in non-compensated service.  There is nothing more satisfying than that.”

CAPS Administrator Jean Kraus said, “[This is a] dynamic year of new ideas.  You are the rock solid foundations CAPS is built on.”  CAPS Volunteers logged 49,000 total hours in 2011.  Using a national figure of $21.62 per hour, these volunteers had an impact of over $1,000,000 in volunteer service to the city.

But let’s talk IMPACT for a minute…what do those 49,000 hours mean for our community?

It means…

  • Protecting victims rights:  in 2011 volunteers assisted over 4,000 victims of crime, with nearly 3,000 of those within the first 72 hrs
  • Citizens getting involved:The PD Citizens Academy is:
    • volunteer-led under the supervision of Officer Rob Campbell
    • in its 6th session
    • with over 100 citizen alumni
    • and has a registration waiting list – sign up for fall!
  • A good quality of life:  The Fire Dept Medical division is offering free 1st Aid/CPR training exclusively to CAPS volunteers, so we have more neighbors helping neighbors in times of emergency.
  • Raising the bar on customer service:  The police dept’s Records & ID unit increased their volunteers by 50% (22), to improve service to the public for non-criminal fingerprinting needs.
  • Planning ahead:  Volunteers Mike and Jerry spearheaded a draft Debris Management Plan to be used in the event of a natural disaster. This complex plan coordinates city agencies, state and federal resources. An estimated contractor cost for this plan…near $100,000.

And the list goes on.  Thank you, thank you to each and every one of you.

Dennis Moore is Recognized as the CAPS Volunteer of the Year

CAPS Volunteer of the Year Dennis Moore

Congratulations to CAPS Volunteer of the Year, Dennis Moore. For leadership, impact and service going above and beyond, Dennis has demonstrated in his role of block captain (since 1991) that he is a most worthy recipient. Thanks to Mr. Moore for his dedicated service.

Visit the CAPS site if you would like to learn more about CAPS, or if you would like to volunteer, you may submit an online application.

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Filed Under: Community Relations, Mayor Bach News, Police, Public Safety Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Volunteers Drive Community Advancing Public Safety

April 6, 2012 By

Colorado Springs is a beautiful community with a very active volunteer population who generously invest their time and heart into a city they love.

 One of the fastest growing volunteer groups are those who support public safety organizations - police and fire.  The Community Advancing Public Safety (CAPS) is a new partnership between citizens and the city’s public safety guardians of police and fire.

The CAPS mission is to enhance quality of life through volunteer public safety services to the community and they do it quite well!

In 2011, the CAPS Program grew to almost 450 public safety volunteers supporting police and fire departments, a 25% increase in volunteers over the year prior. During that time, those volunteers dedicated over 48,000 service hours through the following programs:

Downtown Ambassador Program: Volunteers strolled throughout the downtown area, providing customer service to guests and merchants during the 2011 holiday shopping season. They served as extra eyes and ears for public safety.

Phase II of the program is planned for the summer months. Ambassadors are assisting with gathering business emergency contact information for the city’s 9-1-1 Communications Center, so it is readily available in case of an emergency.

Wildfire Mitigation: Volunteers have also managed the Chipping Program where they removed over 300 tons of slash mulch from 100 acres in 2011 in an attempt to mitigate fire danger. Over 1700 homes participated in this program across the city.

 

The Neighborhood Watch Program. This is a community-police crime prevention partnership. It’s led by a volunteer and under supervision of the city’s Crime Prevention Officers with over 800 block captains participating.

 

Victim Advocacy Unit: The Colorado Springs Police Department’s Victim Advocacy Unit assists victims of crime by providing immediate crisis intervention, follow-up support and information on victim rights and community resources. Over 20 volunteers are attending CSPD’s new 10 week Victim Advocacy Training Academy, expanding the previous volunteer base to provide a broader support to victims.

Want to get involved?

  • Join CAPS by visiting SpringsCAPS.org  and find the online volunteer application link
  • Sign up for a citizen ride-along with either the Fire Department or Police Department. There is no waiting, with 20 fire stations and four police stations from which to choose.
  • Register for the CSPD’s Citizen’s Academy, an 11-week series of informative sessions at a variety of locations that give an inside look at police operations.

Colorado Springs is fortunate to have so many civic-minded citizens willing to get involved. Stay tuned for more stories in the future on community members who are help to make things better – and safer – all around the town!

 

 

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Filed Under: Community Relations, Mayor Bach News, Public Safety Tagged With: , , , ,

Part One Mayor Brown Bag Lunch at CSFD Station 8

January 19, 2012 By

Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach met with firefighters and employees of the Colorado Springs Fire Department at Station 8 today over lunch.

This is the third Brown Bag Lunch Mayor Bach has held in the past few months. Folks had fun…

 

…and there were very few softball questions for the Mayor. People wanted to know more when the Mayor said, “Hope is not a strategy!”

See more pictures  here  taken at the CSFD Mayor’s brown bag lunch.

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Rich Brown Sworn In as Colorado Springs Fire Chief

December 14, 2011 By

Mayor Steve Bach quickly put Rich Brown at ease before delivering the Oath of Office to the City’s next 17th Fire Chief when he asked, “Are you sure you really want to do this?”

Upon receiving his enthusiastic response, Mayor Steve Bach finalized City Council’s confirmation of Brown’s appointment to Fire Chief. Brown has served as the interim chief since June and has worked for the Colorado Springs Fire Department since 1980.

Brown said, “Thank you for the appointment. It means a lot to me and the organization I represent. You set the objective and I assure you that the folks who work for the Colorado Springs Fire Department will meet that objective.”

To City Council he said, “Confirmation means the world to me!”

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