Fort Bend Lifestyles and Homes Magazine Jan 2010: Fort Bend County News.

Sugar Land Fire Chief Recognized for

State Leadership

The Texas Commission on Fire Protection recognized Sugar Land Fire Chief Juan J. Adame for more than 14 years of service on the commission. Appointed by Gov. George W. Bush and approved by the Texas Senate in 1995, Adame was credited with efforts to improve firefighters ’ safety and the development of standards for education and training.

Members of TCFP adopt policies in accordance with Chapter 419 of the Government Code. Upon adoption by the commission, these policies become state administrative laws collected under Title 37, Part 13, of the Texas Administrative Code.

Adame’s leadership resulted in more emphasis on firefighter safety with the development, modification and implementation of recommended changes regarding personnel protective equipment; self-contained breathing apparatus; requirements for the development and maintenance of standard operating procedures for the proper use, selection, care and maintenance of equipment; and establishment of education, training and certification standards for equipment.

Similar efforts are currently being reviewed and implemented in Sugar Land under Adame ’s guidance. Adame was named Sugar Land’s acting fire chief on April 6. Prior to serving as fire protection inspector for Naval Station Ingleside in Corpus Christi since 2008, Adame was a fire chief for 20 years, most recently with the city of Austin where he led a department of 1,100 uniformed and civilian personnel and managed a budget of $116 million.

Sugar Land Launches Twitter Pilot

Sugar Land is taking its first step into the virtual world of social media with a pilot project utilizing Twitter.

Twitter is a social networking service that can be used with ease on both personal computers and mobile devices. Because it limits users to very short messages of 140 characters or less, it has become one of the largest platforms in the world for quickly sharing data. The city will send “Tweets” on public safety, special events and range of other topics.

The city’s Twitter page can be accessed from a standard Web browser such as Firefox, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. Free programs such as Tweetdeck, Power Twitter for Firefox and Twhirl enhance viewing the Tweets via the Internet. Twitter users can also have these messages sent to them mobile devices as text messages.

“Social networking Web sites like Twitter are a great way for the city to keep citizens and visitors informed about topics ranging from road closures to emergency notifications, ” said City Manager Allen Bogard. “Our goal is to take advantage of communication tools already being used by a large group of people and provide timely, relevant and accurate information. ”

Following an evaluation of Twitter, Sugar Land will consider expanding its Web 2.0 program to other social media applications.

To follow Sugar Land on Twitter, go to www.sugarlandtx.gov. A Twitter icon will direct visitors to Twitter to create a free account, select “Find People” from the Twitter menu, search for City of Sugar Land and then click “Follow.”

Sugar Land Among Safest Cities in America

Sugar Land has been named the 11th safest city in America, a distinction based on an analysis of FBI crime statistics.

The national ranking is included in CQ Press’ City Crime Rankings 2009-2010: Crime in Metropolitan America, a publication that annually compares crime in U.S. cities and metropolitan areas. Last year, Sugar Land finished 16th on CQ Press ’ list of safest cities.

Sugar Land had 383 violent crimes per 100,000 population in 2008, compared with a national average of 454.5.

The crime rate rankings of the cities and metropolitan areas are calculated using six crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft. These categories have been used for determining city crime rate ratings since 1999. The rankings include all cities of at least 75,000 residents that reported crime data to the FBI in the categories noted for calendar year 2008.

“We place an emphasis on quality law enforcement, crime prevention and community policing, ” said Police Chief Doug Brinkley. “The overall goal of our organization is to develop partnerships and joint problem-solving techniques with the community that will increase the quality of life for residents and visitors of the city of Sugar Land. ”

FEMA Publishes New
Flood Risk Maps

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency recently presented draft flood risk maps to communities in Fort Bend County. The maps identify known flood risks and are used for insurance and development decisions. The flood maps include a re-study of the Brazos River and Oyster Creek in Fort Bend County.

Residents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the flood risk in the community by visiting http://fbcmap.co.fort-bend.tx.us/floodplainmap/.

MC Police Detective Receives Recognition

Missouri City Police Detective Russell Terry recently received coveted local and national honors for his exemplary work in the line of duty.

Citing Terry’s role as lead investigator in solving two major crimes, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund selected him as its Officer of the Month for October. The organization praised Terry ’s leadership role in securing the arrests of suspects in a bank robbery and a murder.

The veteran officer was also the recipient of another reward. Terry was presented with a flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The flag was a special award for his being honored last May as the Quail Valley Exchange Club ’s 2008 Police Officer of the Year. Marc Schwartz, president of the Gulf Coast region of the Exchange Club, contacted U.S. Congressman John Culberson (R-Texas) to arrange for the flag to be flown in Terry ’s honor.

Solving the crimes for which he was recognized “was a tireless effort on everyone’s behalf and I could not have achieved this honor without the help of other officers on the force who assisted in these investigations, ” Terry said.

Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald noted the importance of the distinction coming from two organizations.

“Public safety always is our number one priority, and it is an honor for citizens to so formally recognize the acts of our officers in eradicating crime, ” Fitzgerald said. “The hard work and dedication of all our officers serve the residents of Missouri City well on a daily basis. ”

Terry was honored by the Exchange Club on May 3, which makes its annual award based on the prior year ’s service. Terry, along with all of the Memorial Fund’s 2009 Officers of the Month, will be honored at an awards luncheon in Washington, D.C. in May 2010 during National Police Week.

Sugar Land Launches Community

Bulletin Board on SLtv 16

Sugar Land has created a community bulletin board on SLtv 16 for meeting and event notices from governmental agencies, homeowners ’ associations and property associations in Sugar Land.

The community bulletin board will be limited to text slides and will air on SLtv 16 from 7 a.m.-8 a.m. and 5 p.m.-6 p.m. SLtv 16 is Sugar Land ’s governmental access channel, which is available on channel 16 to Comcast subscribers in the city ’s corporate limits.

The new community bulletin board is intended to address a community need to publicize meetings and events. To allow for proper production, scheduling and publicity, community bulletin board requests must be received 15 business days in advance of the scheduled event.

Meeting and event notices for the community bulletin board will be limited to no more than one notice/event announcement per organization per week. Items are eligible to begin airing 30 days before event.

Requests for meeting and event notices on the community bulletin board should be submitted to pubinfo@sugarlandtx.gov or be delivered in person to the Sugar Land Communications Department at City Hall, 2700 Town Center Blvd. North. Upon approval and payment of a $25 administrative fee, updates will be posted each Friday.

For more information, call 281-275-2328 or e-mail pubinfo@sugarlandtx.gov.

Missouri City Earns
“Very Good” Community Rating System Score

Missouri City has earned a “very good” Community Rating System Score of 7 from the National Flood Insurance Program, placing residents in a strong position to secure lower flood insurance premiums.

Director of Public Works Scott Elmer emphasized the significance of this first-time rating, saying at the Nov. 16 city council meeting, that “most communities receive an 8 or a 9.”

Missouri City applied for participation in the federal flood management program in August and received its preliminary score based “on the city’s documentation of existing practices and on existing improvements that have been made since then, ” Elmer said. NFIP, an arm of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, rates U.S. cities on their efforts to implement preventive floodplain management measures and these standards are called the Community Rating System. The CRS program rates cities ’ flood management practices through a 1 to 10 point system that rewards them for implementing organized and proactive measures (1 is the best score and 10 the worst).

For Missouri City residents who live in a floodplain, the “7” rating means that the average homeowner of a $150,000 house with a $50,000 content coverage could see an $86 a year insurance discount by the end of next year.

Elmer also stressed that residents living outside of the city’s floodplain should purchase flood insurance, too. Using a memorable Texas storm to illustrate the importance, he explained that “seventy percent of areas that flooded in Tropical Storm Allison were not in the floodplain. ” With the city’s current CRS score, residents who live outside of the floodplain would have their insurance policies discounted by about 5 percent under current guidelines.

The next step in the annual process is for FEMA to officially admit Missouri City into the CRS program, which is expected to happen in April or May. After that, insurance companies will be notified of the city ’s rating and residents should see a rollback in their rates toward the end of 2010. With additional improvements such as an updated flood ordinance, the city could be classified as a “6” in the next year or two.

A Campaign to Save Lives

Missouri City’s Fire & Rescue Service, in collaboration with the U.S. Fire Administration, is reminding residents that two simple safety steps can help save thousands of lives:

Install home smoke detectors and sprinkler systems and inspect them to make sure they are properly working. This will help protect you and your family if an emergency occurs

The “Install. Inspect. Protect.” Campaign was recently launched by the USFA to help save lives through intervention. The national agency reports that each year more than 3,000 Americans perish in house fires, and many of the deaths are attributed to people having no smoke alarms or units that are faulty.

Chief Russell Sander says, “Missouri City Fire & Rescue Service knows that the risk of dying in a house fire is significantly reduced by having a working smoke detector installed. This is why we encourage all residents to have working smoke detectors and to ensure they are maintained. ”

The local and national safety drive emphasizes that every residence needs smoke alarms or fire sprinklers, and that the risk of residents dying in a fire is reduced by 82 percent when they are installed. Investing in inexpensive smoke detectors can also help prevent the death and injury of firefighters, who often put their lives on the line trying to rescue residents who weren ’t alerted to fires by the safety units.

“Smoke alarms and sprinklers give you and your family more time to get out, before firefighters have to come in to rescue you, ” said the nation’s top firefighter, U.S. Fire Administrator Kelvin J. Cochran.

As they work hard to save lives and educate the public, the USFA and Missouri City Fire and Rescue Services urge residents to remember these fire facts:

Place properly installed and maintained smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.

Test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or as instructed by the manufacturer.

If possible, install residential fire sprinklers in your home. Avoid painting or covering your fire sprinklers or smoke detectors, because that will affect their sensitivity to heat.

To learn more about the USFA campaign, visit www.missouricitytx.gov, www.usfa.dhs.gov or call 800-561-3356.