SMOKE ALARM PROGRAM UPDATE
~ February 2021 ~
The Good News...and Then
The good news is that COVID-19 vaccinations are happening. Almost 5,000 in the last two weeks in Sun City. And the Governor will be easing some restrictions soon. Cases and hospitalizations are down. Light at the end of the tunnel.
I mention COVID because that continues to impact our smoke alarm installations in a big way.
- We stopped in mid-March with 4-6 weeks of installations yet to happen.
- We restarted in October – for two weeks before COVID shut us down again.
- The Governor’s “pause” pushed us back to mid-February.
Our smoke alarm program is owned by Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. The same fire service people who do smoke alarms are the same people who are helping vaccinate Las Vegas. And COVID vaccinations take priority over smoke alarms.
I spoke with Zach Collins, our fire service installer, today at the Desert Vista vaccination clinic. He says it will be “at least 60 days” before they can get back to smoke alarms. They will still have to come back to Sun City to deliver 2nd shots. The next few weeks they will be staffing a clinic on the under-served East Side of town. Then they’ll have to go back to give those residents their second shot. (We take pride in that they’ve laid out those clinic procedures on what we’ve been doing here in Sun City. We are considered a model “Point of Distribution.” A big ‘thank you’ to the resident volunteers inside the clinic and those outside managing people as they enter and leave.)
To summarize:
- Smoke alarm installations will resume sometime after mid-April 2021.
- The first installations will be for those residents who have been waiting a year. That should take about a month.
- Sometime after mid-May we will start doing people who applied in October of last year. We will have about 2 months of work to finish these people.
- At some point this summer we will re-open the application process.
We appreciate everyone’s patience. Short of more waiting we can offer two other choices.
- We can refund your money. But that puts you at the back of the line, waiting to reapply.
- We can deliver the smoke alarms needed for your home and you can work with a handyman to have them installed. Please note that labor costs for our program are zero. We work with volunteers, and fire service personnel are paid by the fire department. We cannot cut you a check for your labor costs.
The fire chief has assured Mitzi Mills, Sun City’s Executive Director, that smoke alarm installation is his highest priority after COVID vaccinations. This program will continue.
For the Neighborhood Preparedness Team
Michael Pennock
The good news is that COVID-19 vaccinations are happening. Almost 5,000 in the last two weeks in Sun City. And the Governor will be easing some restrictions soon. Cases and hospitalizations are down. Light at the end of the tunnel.
I mention COVID because that continues to impact our smoke alarm installations in a big way.
- We stopped in mid-March with 4-6 weeks of installations yet to happen.
- We restarted in October – for two weeks before COVID shut us down again.
- The Governor’s “pause” pushed us back to mid-February.
Our smoke alarm program is owned by Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. The same fire service people who do smoke alarms are the same people who are helping vaccinate Las Vegas. And COVID vaccinations take priority over smoke alarms.
I spoke with Zach Collins, our fire service installer, today at the Desert Vista vaccination clinic. He says it will be “at least 60 days” before they can get back to smoke alarms. They will still have to come back to Sun City to deliver 2nd shots. The next few weeks they will be staffing a clinic on the under-served East Side of town. Then they’ll have to go back to give those residents their second shot. (We take pride in that they’ve laid out those clinic procedures on what we’ve been doing here in Sun City. We are considered a model “Point of Distribution.” A big ‘thank you’ to the resident volunteers inside the clinic and those outside managing people as they enter and leave.)
To summarize:
- Smoke alarm installations will resume sometime after mid-April 2021.
- The first installations will be for those residents who have been waiting a year. That should take about a month.
- Sometime after mid-May we will start doing people who applied in October of last year. We will have about 2 months of work to finish these people.
- At some point this summer we will re-open the application process.
We appreciate everyone’s patience. Short of more waiting we can offer two other choices.
- We can refund your money. But that puts you at the back of the line, waiting to reapply.
- We can deliver the smoke alarms needed for your home and you can work with a handyman to have them installed. Please note that labor costs for our program are zero. We work with volunteers, and fire service personnel are paid by the fire department. We cannot cut you a check for your labor costs.
The fire chief has assured Mitzi Mills, Sun City’s Executive Director, that smoke alarm installation is his highest priority after COVID vaccinations. This program will continue.
For the Neighborhood Preparedness Team
Michael Pennock
WALKING TRACK RENOVATION COMPLETE
February is all about cardiovascular health. The walking track at Mountain Shadows Community Center has been completed just in time to help us work on our heart health. Lace up those shoes and let's hit the track!
Photo Credit: Richard Becker
TRIVIA ANSWERS - FEBRUARY LINK
Question A: Bubble Wrap was intended to be a 3-D Wallpaper
Question B: Cookie Monster’s name is Sid.
Question C: It takes 8 minutes for the light of the Sun to reach Earth.
Question D: Congratulations to Linda Muench for being the first to Identify the clear push pin. She is the winner of a $10 Starbucks card.
Question B: Cookie Monster’s name is Sid.
Question C: It takes 8 minutes for the light of the Sun to reach Earth.
Question D: Congratulations to Linda Muench for being the first to Identify the clear push pin. She is the winner of a $10 Starbucks card.