With the change of daylight saving time beginning Sunday, March 14, 2010 the Riverside Fire Department reminds you that when you change your clock, change the batteries in your smoke alarms.  According to the National Fire Protection Association, a working smoke alarm increases your family’s chances of a safe escape from a fire by more than 50 percent.

The Riverside Fire Department suggests you install at least one smoke alarm inside every sleeping area and on every level of your home.  But installation is just the first step in protecting your family from fires.  Smoke alarms also need to be tested and maintained if they are to continue to be your family’s nose at night. 

The Riverside Fire Department offer these simple maintenance tips to ensure your smoke alarms are in good working order:

Testing – Test each alarm once a month to make sure it’s operating.  Testing is the only way to ensure it’s working to protect you.  Push the test button and listen for the alarm.  If you can’t reach the alarm, stand under it and push the test button with a broom handle.

Replacing Batteries – If your smoke alarms are battery-operated, replace the batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Do this at least twice a year (an easy reminder — change your clock, change your batteries), or when the alarm chirps, alerting you the battery power is low.  Replace the batteries immediately if you move into a new home.  Make sure no one disables your smoke alarms by borrowing batteries for other uses.

Cleaning – Just as you clean your home, your smoke alarms need to be cleaned.  Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  Cobwebs and dust usually can be removed with a vacuum cleaner attachment.  If you are going to be doing work nearby that could send dust in the air, cover the alarm with a shield.  Also, shield the alarm if you are painting around it, and never paint on it.  Remove the shield promptly after work is completed.

Please Contact the Riverside Fire Department at 741-1191 for information about the free smoke alarm program or other helpful fire safety tips.

March is Severe Spring Weather Preparedness Month in Missouri because the weather transitions from snow to rain, tornadoes and flooding.

The National Weather Service, the State Emergency Management Agency and local emergency management offices will conduct the 36th annual state tornado drill at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 11. The weather service will initiate the drill.

The entire drill can be completed in 15 minutes.

Once Missourians hear broadcast drill messages or outdoor warning sirens, they should practice seeking shelter. The safest shelter location is an interior room without windows in the lowest level of the building. Other school or business safe locations are basements, hallways, under staircases and designated tornado safe rooms. Once everyone is accounted for, the drill is over.

For more information on Kansas and Missouri Severe Weather Awareness Week (March 8-12, 2010) visit the National Weather Service Web site.

On Monday, March 8, the Riverside Office of Emergency Management will present the Severe Storm Preparedness Workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Community Center. The workshop will cover weather terms, how to prepare for severe weather, severe weather safety and “Project Community Alert.” Lunch will be provided at this free event. If you’re interested in attending, please RSVP in advance to 741-4172.

Add affordable to the list of reasons to choose Riverside as a place to do business. A new report released on Monday found that Riverside had the lowest industrial and office permit fees of the 14 cities evaluated in the Kansas City metro.

The Greater Kansas City Municipal Development Report Card, produced by the Lewis White Real Estate Center at the University of Missouri – Kansas City and the Society for Industrial Office Realtors (SIOR), evaluated municipalities in the Kansas City metropolitan area to determine general time tables and fee structures and costs associated with development projects. 

Planning departments were presented with two projects – an office building and an industrial building, and were asked to provide an estimate on the amount of time it would take to review and approve the project, as well as the total fees for building and development.

Riverside estimated the fees for a $9.6 million, 60,000 square-foot office building would be $37,910 and the fees for a $10 million, 100,000 square-foot industrial building would be $39,110.  This is significantly lower than Overland Park, who had the highest fees for both projects – approximately $250,000 for the office building and $350,000 for the industrial building. 

Riverside also scored well in the category of permit approval time.  The City tied for fourth with Lee’s Summit, estimating 10 weeks to approve a project.

“We understand that the City of Riverside is one of many communities developers can choose from in the metro area,” Mike Duffy, Director of Community Development, said.  “We strive to make Riverside a great place to do business, and that includes having efficient processes and low development costs.”

The City of Riverside, Mo. is located 10 minutes north of downtown Kansas City.  Riverside is currently in the process of updating its 2006 award-winning master plan, part of which will focus on redevelopment of its downtown corridor and creating a plan for more than 600-acres of undeveloped land near Highway 9 and I-635.

For more information on Riverside’s rankings in this report or other development in the City, contact Mike Duffy, Director of Community Development, at (816) 365-3477 or mduffy@riversidemo.com.

… but there will be a fireworks show Thursday night!  In preparation for the City of Riverside’s new summer festival, BLAST, we’ll be conducting a test shoot on Thursday evening around 6:30 p.m.  The reason for the test shoot is to make sure fireworks can be seen from the intersection of Gateway and Vivion, where the festival will be held on June 26.  Most Riverside events, like Riverfest, are held in EH Young Park so fireworks are ususally shot from a barge on the river.  Please contact Meredith Hauck at 816-372-9023 or the Department of Public Safety at 816-741-1191 with any questions or concerns.  Otherwise, enjoy the show!

2009 was the first full year of operation for Riverside’s Fire Department.  This summary of activity for the year shows that adding a fulltime Fire Department made Riverside a safer place.  Here are the highlights:

• Responded to 3 structure fires.
• Responded to 720 medical calls.
• Made an additional 205 other types of calls.
• Responded to 42 motor vehicle accidents.
• 15 mutual aid requests were either made or responded to.
• Fire Division members spent a combined 5,070 in training (this includes training conducted both on and off site).
• Prevention and Education put on 85 different formal fire safety programs.
• 514 fire safety inspections were conducted that identified 892 violations, all of which were corrected.

- Guest post by Chief Greg Mills, Director of Public Safety

Nearly one in four Missourians still fail to regularly wear their safety belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.   Only 77 percent of Missourians buckle up regularly, seven percent less than the national average of 84 percent

Riverside Police are joining with other law enforcement agencies on February 25th, 2010 for an aggressive “Click it or Ticket” safety belt mobilization to crack down on Missouri’s safety belt law violators and to reduce highway fatalities,

Failure to wear a safety belt can be deadly.  In 2008, 489 people killed in traffic crashes weren’t wearing their seat belt. Seven out of ten Missourians killed in traffic crashes are unbuckled.

Failure to regularly wear a safety belt can be deadly.  “Every day someone dies in a crash in Missouri because they weren’t buckled up,” said Captain Gary McMullin. “We’ll be out there to remind you seat belts can – and do – save lives every day.”

 For more information on Missouri seatbelt usage, visit www.saveMOlives.com

From Chief Greg Mills, Director of Public Safety:

One of our firefighters was burned Friday while fighting a house fire in Indian Hills.  He was taken to an area hospital where he was treated for 1st and 2nd degree burns on his hand, arm and shoulder.  Now released from the hospital, he is recovering at home and when I spoke with him Friday evening he said he was doing well.

It is true what they say about firemen….when everyone else is running away from the danger, they are running into it.  Makes us proud.

Over the next 30 years, the Kansas City region can expect to add 500,000 people and 300,000 jobs.  Join the Mid-America Regional Council on February 3, 4 or 11 to learn about future land-use forecasts to support the new long-range transportation plan for the region, Transportation Outlook 2040.

Public Meetings:

Wednesday, February 3, 2010
7-8:30 p.m.
Johnson County Central Resource Library
9875 West 87th St., Overland Park, KS 66212

Thursday, February 4, 2010
7-8:30 p.m.
Gladstone Community Center
6901 N. Holmes, Gladstone, MO 64118

Thursday, February 11, 2010
7-8:30 p.m.
Kansas City Public Library – Plaza Branch, Lower Level
4801 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64114

Intersection improvements at Missouri Route 9 and Briarcliff Parkway are underway.  The ramp to southbound Route 9 to access North Kansas City and US 169 Highway will be closed beginning Friday, January 22.  Please be alert to detour signs to direct you around the closure or find alternative routes around the construction.  Also, expect traffic delays and other lane closures in the area during this construction.

Intersection improvements are scheduled for completion in November 2010.  For more information, please visit the MoDOT web site or contact City Hall at 816-741-3993