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

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: , , , ,

Colorado Springs Educator Puts Fun Factor in FireFactor

April 4, 2012 By

Colorado Springs Fire Department Community Services Educator, Brianna Goodwin, knows the best way to get kids to engage and remember is to use creative teaching techniques. Her efforts recently made it all the way to the front page of the New York Times in an article on “clickers” .

Brianna teaches about the consequences of arson through a program called FireFactor, a prevention program that uses mediums kids connect with like clips from current TV commercials, movies and music videos. Using remote control hand-held devices is part of the fun-factor in FireFactor.

Since 2010, the FireFactor program has reached nearly 5,300 Colorado Springs middle school students. Approximately 77 FireFactor presentations were made to 6th and 7th graders, 70 teachers and more than 30 guests from 2011-2012.

“Juvenile fire setting is common between the ages of 10-14,” said Brianna. “We wanted to create a program that spoke to youth in their own language because they are so immersed in the media. There are images of fire and explosions in media every three minutes. We show them examples of fire in media and contrast it against the reality through stories of Colorado Springs fires.”

Brianna uses the clicker system to engage them and get instantaneous feedback. “They are so excited and want to know immediately when they’ll get to use it. It’s fun to watch them get really excited about it before we even start the class.”

She wants parents and teachers to know, “You can talk to kids about fire. Many adults struggle with communicating with teens and tweens. It’s a tough and a serious issue, but it shouldn’t scare anyone away from bringing it up with kids.”

Mayor Bach is a big believer in communication and education when it comes to public safety. “The more we can do to save lives and avoid injury the better,” said Mayor Steve Bach. “It’s efforts like this that make such a difference in raising public safety awareness.”

There are three components to the FireFactor Program: Intervention, Education and Parenting. For more info, email FireFactor@springsgov.com.

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Filed Under: Education, Mayor Bach News, Public Safety Tagged With: , , ,

Monthly Media Briefing on Mayor Initiatives

March 14, 2012 By

Each month, members of the Colorado Springs media are invited to attend a briefing by Mayor Bach held at the City Administration Building. Press conferences are efficient ways for the media to ask questions on timely topics and also hear updates from key leaders on important initiatives.

 Mayor Bach began by wishing everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day a few days early. He then summarized his three key objectives: jobs, transforming city government and building community. To improve the business climate, he has visited and built relationships with many primary employers as well as suppliers and vendors who might bring their operations to Colorado Springs.

The Mayor has also worked closely with the Chamber, EDC and Incubator to nurture and retain existing jobs. He has met with lenders, banks and credit unions to stimulate capitol and venture funding for long term economic vitality.  He cited new jobs numbers including Balseal (200) and Stellar Restaurant Solutions (250). El Paso Gas is being encouraged to keep 450 jobs in the area rather than move them to Lakewood CO.

Mayor Bach’s main message is, “We’re open for business in Colorado Springs.”

In other efforts, the Mayor is working to transform city government, attract employers and form Frontrange and State alliances. The Pikes Peak Region Mayors Caucus is an example of local leaders working together to make things happen.

Donna Nelson, Economic Vitality and Innovation Specialist took the podium to describe the Spirit of the Springs initiative which includes:

Celebrate and Connect Colorado Springs

Ms. Nelson cited the Summer and Winter Rally and Celebration Awards to recognize noteworthy accomplishments which bring pride and distinction to Colorado Springs. Volunteer activities included the Bring a Turkey to Work Day Drive which generated 500% more food donations for Care and Share than the year previous. She thanked the Broadmoor for sponsoring the upcoming Mayor’s Cup Golf Fundraiser Tournament, where 100% of all funds raised will come back to the City. Colorado Springs is also the first city to receive permission from NBC to air the Olympic Opening Ceremonies at a downtown Viewing Celebration this summer.

Cultivate Future City Government Leaders

Multiple efforts are underway to build leaders for the future, including the City Careers Awareness Program to be launched in Fall 2012 in local middle schools. Career Fairs will be held at local colleges and universities and soldiers transitioning into civilian life will receive assistance through community partnerships. In Fall 2012, a Community Center after-school program will launch.

Encourage Citizen Involvement

The Mayor speaks regularly at organizations like  PILLAR, UCCS and COPPeR to encourage involvement and thank those who step forward in service. Partnering with retirees and Fire Fighters, the Adopt a School Program will augment support to schools needing volunteer help. While we have an actively involved community, more representation is needed from the Pikes Peak Region to serve on State and local Boards and Commissions.

Steve Cox, Chief of Economic Vitality and Innovation spoke next. He said, “It’s exciting for us at this time. Colorado Springs is on the cusp of greatness. The Downtown Solutions Team is part of an overarching vision to do what we can to create a better environment. We want to turn Monument Creek into an amenity where people can gather but we need more people to get onboard.”

 

The head of the Downtown Solutions Team, Chuck Murphy, spoke about the importance of a safe and secure downtown, noting that cameras work successfully in every city they’ve been used. “We expect decorum from everyone,” he said.

Responding to media questions on the use of cameras downtown, Steve Cox responded with the following: The issue is public safety and the public does not feel safe. Complaints come from businesses and shoppers as a result of drug arrests in Acacia Park, rowdy night time activities and aggressive panhandlers. The Police Chief recommended the use of cameras as a way to redeploy resources. It is a “force multiplier” which will eliminate the need to spend more money on added police.

There will be a $163,000 one-time cost and cameras will be staffed by volunteers and some overtime funding. The camera feed will not be accessible to the public unless there is a resulting investigation. Also sidewalks will be cleaned by volunteers. The CAPS program, Community Advancing Public Safety, have 400 volunteers with a goal of 1100. These people have a passion to invest their time in the community.

See the schedule of 2012 Mayor Media Briefings.  

Watch the Formal City Council meeting and public input on proposed downtown cameras .

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Filed Under: Jobs, Leadership, Mayor Bach News, Public Safety Tagged With: , , , ,
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