Working with the Community
DPS and Special Olympics Pulling Together
The 2008 Power Pull at Great America is just one component of the ongoing partnership between DPS and the Special Olympics. On Saturday, July 19, DPS joined 10 other teams from around the county to compete in the Power Pull.  The DPS Team pulls the Sunnyvale Fire Truck
Each team had two attempts to pull a Central Concrete Truck (47,000 pounds) and a Sunnyvale Fire Truck (72,000 pounds) over a distance of 20 feet. The average time for each team on each rig was calculated to determine this year's winner - Rudolph & Sletten, the undefeated champions of the competition.  High-fives all around for the Power Pull from DPS Team members Special Olympics athlete Aaron Samuels (L) and Capt. Doug Moretto (R)
Throughout the year, DPS also participates in the Special Olympics Torch Run and Tip-a-Cop as well as attending competitions to assist with putting medals on the athletes.
To see DPS in action and meet the athletes, mark your calendar for Tip-a-Cop at the Firehouse Grill on Wednesday, August 27 from 5-9 pm. For more information about the event, call: (408) 730-7140.
For more information about Special Olympics in Northern California (SONC), go to: www.sonc.org. |
From L-R, DPS Honor Guard members: PSO Todd Fekete, PSO Marie Plonka, PSO Idean Momtaheni and PSO David Falco
DPS Honor Guard at FHS
A traditional part of the graduation ceremony of Fremont High School (FHS) includes the presentation of flags (or "Colors"). In past years, the Colors were presented by various members in the military's Armed Forces.
This year, FHS requested Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety's Honor Guard team perform the presentation of Colors for the 2008 Senior Graduation Ceremony. This special first time appearance was requested to help celebrate retiring Assistant Principal Bob Grover's 34-year career with the Fremont Union High School District.
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Parent Education Class
Who's in control?
Me or the kid?
Tired of the smart comeback to a simple question? Fed up with the calls from school about attendance and/or behavior? Want to know where you children are and who they are hanging out with? Then you need to check out the Parent Project®. Parent Project is a series of classes presented by Public Safety that will give you answers and solutions to the above addressed problems. The program gives parents the down-to-earth proven tactics to help them regain control of the family. Classes start in September. The class meets once a week for 12 weeks. Meals and daycare will be available. For more information contact Jim Davis in the Crime Prevention Office at: (408) 730-7140. For more information regarding the Parent Project go to: www.parentproject.com. |
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Toys R Us and Babies R Us Grand Opening
Deputy Chief Tim Carlyle, Captain Chris Carrion, Lt. Dave
Davis and PSO Kevin Rigo attend the ribbon cutting ceremony at the newly
remodeled Toys R Us/Babies R Us on July 18, 2008.
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SUNNYVALE DPS UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, August 5National Night Out: 7-10 pm
Sunnyvale neighborhoods are invited to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the 25th annual National Night Out crime and drug prevention event www.nationalnightout.org/nno(408) 730-7117 Wednesday, August 27Challenge Team Sunnyvale Meeting
www.ChallengeTeam.InSunnyvale.comSpecial Olympics Tip-a-Cop: 5-9 pm Firehouse Grill & Brewery 111 S. Murphy Ave (408) 730-7140 Saturday, September 13State of the City Celebration: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.Downtown Sunnyvale Watch for updated information |
For questions and comments about the Sunnyvale DPS newsletter Beyond the Badge,  you can email us at: pubsfty@ci.sunnyvale.ca.us
© 2008 City of Sunnyvale, CA
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 Message from the Chief:
I
really hope you enjoy reading our newsletter, Beyond the Badge.
We are trying to approach the content from the standpoint of keeping the
articles "fresh," letting you get to know our people and highlighting the
partnerships and connections we have developed within our community.
I
am particularly proud of the great work that happens here everyday, but I think
it is important to introduce you to Dori Fontaine and Irene Lea, the Editors
of our newsletter.
Dori is our "Go-to"
person for just about everything we do in the community. Dori pulls the right people together, at the
right time, to keep many of our programs running - from Child Safety Seat
installations to coordinating our efforts with the Special Olympics to
connecting with our many neighborhood associations... Dori does it all. This newsletter would not come together each
month, were it not for Dori's extraordinary talents!
Irene
is one of many volunteers in our department - she just happens to have great
web skills and editorial experience that help guide our efforts. Irene donates her time to bring this
newsletter to you - what a great community supporter and, what an asset to our
department.
 Co-editors Irene Lea (L) and Dori Fontaine (R) hard at work on the next edition of Behind the Badge
As
you read on, I'd really like to hear what you think, not only about the
newsletter, but where you think Public Safety "needs to be" in the coming
years. Next month, I want to share a bit about our department - how we are
organized, our philosophy, and our priorities.
Until then, enjoy - and let me hear what you think.
Chief Johnson
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K9 Unit Receives Check to Help Fund Equipment and a New Dog
On June 26, 2008, the Silicon Valley Realtors Association presented $2000 to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety K9 Unit to offset the cost of new oxygen tanks and regulators for the unit's first aid kits and the purchase our new dog, Colt. Due to the recent promotion of Officer Bob Sorci, his K9 partner, Teddy, has retired after six years of service.
PSO Chris Fontaine (L), K9 Quest and Deputy Chief Mark Stivers (R) accept a donation from Bill Moody (C) from the Silicon Valley Realtors Association
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Back to School Already!
Yes... it's
that time of year again. The excitement
of a new school year is upon us. Soon we
will be getting our children ready in the mornings to walk, ride or drive to
school. The transit to and from school
sometimes can be a dangerous proposition.
Public Safety's Traffic Safety and Enforcement Unit and Patrol
Operations work extremely hard to keep the roadways as safe as possible for
everyone.
It
is important to discuss with your children traffic safety tips about walking,
riding or driving to school. One of the
most important things to discuss with your children is their route of travel to
school. Parents and children should work
together to find the safest way to school for their neighborhood.  Public Safety has created maps for each
school in the City that shows where the Crossing Guards are located on the
streets around the schools as part of our "Safe Way to School"program. We feel that by having this information,
parents can give their children a route that is truly the "Safe Way to School".
The
maps can be found at http://Safeways.inSunnyvale.com. You can also find other helpful tips on this
page to keep you and your family safe at school and at home.
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Sunnyvale DPS Responds to Statewide Wildland Fires
In the last issue of Beyond the Badge, you read about the efforts of Public Safety assisting the communities of Santa Cruz County during the Summit Fire. Since then, Public Safety has sent fire resources around the state of California to help fight the hundreds of wildfires that are burning.
Our Public Safety Officers assigned to Fire Operations joined other Santa Clara County firefighters to form Strike Teams that were dispatched to the most dangerous of the fires to protect people and their homes. A Strike Team is a group of five engines teamed up to protect neighborhoods and sometimes entire communities. 
Members of Lt. AJ Berrien's Strike team
Since late June and early July, our Sunnyvale engines have been sent to the Tabin and Whitehurst Fires near Watsonville and the Butte Fire near Chico. And our Communications folks have acted as Incident Dispatchers for the largest of the fires burning in Butte County.
On the Tabin and Whitehurst Fire, Lt. Dave Davis and Public Safety Officers (PSOs) Patel, Stewart and Murray worked for three days protecting homes and clearing brush.
On the Butte Fire, Lt. Grubaugh, PSOs Prange, Rybak and Stagner were also deployed for seven days protecting structures and removing brush, trees and clearing property. After their seven-day work period was finished, they were replaced with a fresh crew that included Lt. Bianconi, PSOs Payton, Wowack and Bauer for another seven days; and if that wasn't enough - another replacement crew consisting of Lt. Davis, PSOs Gay, Patel and Ruben Cortez went to Butte County for another five days!
And our own Lt. AJ Berrien was deployed as a Strike Team Leader to the Butte Fire where he led Strike Team Team 2306A for five days. His Strike Team included five engines and 20 firefighters from Santa Clara County.
Lt. AJ Berrien on scene at the ButteFire
Finally, Communications Officers Jill Ahearn and Josie Silva were each deployed for two weeks to Northern California fires as Incident Dispatchers. In each case, our dispatchers were responsible for tracking and directing the efforts of hundreds of firefighters working the fireline.
Please follow the link below for more info on the California fire season: www.fire.ca.gov. Our apologies - the link we gave last time was not CalFire. |
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DID YOU KNOW?
Fire Code Regulations for
Barbeques on Balconies, Patios and Decks
As
of January 1, 2008,
the following Fire Codes have been adopted by all municipalities in Santa Clara County:
-
308.3.1 Open-flame cooking
devices. Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking
devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of
combustible construction.
Exceptions: - One- and two-family dwellings
-
Where buildings, balconies, and decks
are protected by an automatic sprinkler system.
- 308.3.1.1 Liquefied-petroleum-gas fueled cooking devices. LP-gas burners
having an LP-gas container with a water capacity greater than 2.5 pounds
[nominal 1 pound LP-gas capacity] shall not be located on combustible balconies
or within 10 feet of combustible construction.
Exception: One- and two-family
dwellings.
For
more details in a FAQ, go to: www.FirePrevention.inSunnyvale.com.
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