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April 2016 - Vol.09, No.04
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Event Calendar
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National Volunteer Appreciation Week
April 12
Tip a Cop at Country Gourmet (flyer)
8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
April 24
Justin's House Presents 2016 Annual Chili Cook-Off (flyer)
April 30
April 27
May 2
May 14
Vargas Elementary School Carnival and DPS Bike Rodeo
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
May 15-21
May 18
Tip a Cop at Black Angus, Dinner
5:00 - 8:00 p.m. (flyer)
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Message from the Chief
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In the July 2015 Beyond the Badge edition, we highlighted the new Fire Station #5 Public Safety Training Center ground breaking ceremony. The actual work to prepare the site began several weeks prior, but the magnitude of work to be completed was just beginning. As a reminder, the new Fire Station #5 Public Safety Training Center was the result of a development agreement with the Jay Paul Company approved by the City Council in December 2013. The development deal included a three bay fire station with an attached public safety training facility and a new platform ladder truck. The project has been a collaborative effort by numerous entities, and we are ecstatic to report that it is in its final phases of completion. I cannot adequately describe in words how spectacular it has turned out. This is a direct reflection on the many people who worked tirelessly to complete the project in a very short amount of time.
The current Fire Station #5 personnel are preparing for final moving arrangements, and we believe they will be operating in the new station during the first part of May. The official dedication ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.. Station tours will begin at 11:00 a.m. with the dedication ceremony beginning at noon. We are inviting the community to join us at the grand opening to mark this significant addition to the City of Sunnyvale and the Department of Public Safety. Please join us in officially recognizing all those responsible for the project and for the excellent work in completing the new station. The Saturday afternoon time was chosen to specifically allow for members of the community to attend. The date also aligns with National Police Week in which the nation pays special recognition to law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.
TEL (408) 730-7140
TDD (408) 730-7501
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April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
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National Child Abuse Prevention Month is a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect, and to promote the social and emotional well-being of children and families. During the month of April and throughout the year, communities are encouraged to share child abuse and neglect prevention awareness strategies and activities and promote prevention across the country.
Prevention is the best hope for reducing child abuse and neglect and improving the lives of children and families. Strengthening families and preventing child abuse requires a shared commitment of individuals and organizations in every community.
Promoting well-being involves understanding and addressing child, youth, and caregiver functioning in physical, behavioral, social, and cognitive areas. A focus on well-being should be integrated into all aspects of child welfare services. Particularly in the field of child abuse prevention, addressing child and family needs related to well-being is a critical part of reducing risks and increasing safety and protective factors.
Public awareness can be part of an overall approach to preventing child abuse and neglect. Find resources and information on sharing a message and educating the public, making an economic case for prevention, and creating community support and partnerships to prevent child abuse and neglect.
Click here for more information on Child abuse Prevention.
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April is Also National Distracted Driving Awareness Month
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 April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month and Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety is joining law enforcement agencies in the Bay Area and statewide to crack down on distracted driving. Distracted driving can have deadly consequences. In the average time it takes to check a text message - less than 5 seconds - a car traveling 60 mph will travel more than the length of a football field. With an average of less than one second to react to an urgent situation, drivers need to have all their attention on the roadway. No text, call, or social media update is worth risking a crash. Common distracted driving behaviors include:  - Texting
- Talking on non-hands free cell phones
- Reading maps/gps, books and newspapers
- Eating and drinking
- Changing cds or radio stations
We urge all drivers to silence their cell phones and pay attention to the road. If you have teen drivers in your household, remind them of the dangers of distracted driving and share with them the safety tips outlined below. Eliminate distractions while driving:
- Never text and drive
 - Turn off your phone when you get behind the wheel
- Don't text or call someone when you know they are likely to be driving
- No eating or drinking while driving
- Don't program your GPS, MP3 player or other devices while driving
- Pull over and stop to read maps
- No grooming, reading or watching videos
- Try not to get too involved with passengers
- If something falls to the floor, pull over before trying to reach it
Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety is committed to seeing a decrease in the number of traffic collisions that are caused by distracted driving. This can only be accomplished through the diligent awareness and cooperation of the public - so please, drive safe and focus on the road.
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DPS Newest Additions
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On March 15, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety proudly welcomed four new Public Safety Officers: Elisa Barrios, Anthony Fantozzi, James Fenner, and Justin Mardesich. All these new officers have successfully completed a basic training, which includes a strenuous 26-week Police Academy, a 12-week Fire Academy, and six weeks of an EMS academy, and are fully ready to answer public calls for emergency assistance, help the public resolve non emergency issues, investigate crimes, provide public education, and work with schools, neighborhoods, and our business community to prevent crime and fires.  |
Be Aware of Unsolicited Calls Misrepresenting the IRS
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 Phone scams continue to be a serious issue that you need to be aware of. The Sunnyvale Dept. of Public Safety reminds you to be alert and be informed in order to avoid being a victim of a scam. Here are several tips to help you avoid being a victim of these scams:
- Scammers make unsolicited calls. Thieves call taxpayers claiming to be IRS officials. They demand that the victim pay a bogus tax bill. They con the victim into sending cash, usually through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. They may also leave "urgent" callback requests through phone "robo-calls," or via phishing email.
- Callers try to scare their victims. Many phone scams use threats to intimidate and bully a victim into paying. They may even threaten to arrest, deport or revoke the license of their victim if they don't get the money.
- Scams use caller ID spoofing. Scammers often alter caller ID to make it look like the IRS or another agency is calling. The callers use IRS titles and fake badge numbers to appear legitimate. They may use the victim's name, address and other personal information to make the call sound official.
- Cons try new tricks all the time. Some schemes provide an actual IRS address where they tell the victim to mail a receipt for the payment they make. Others use emails that contain a fake IRS document with a phone number or an email address for a reply. These scams often use official IRS letterhead in emails or regular mail that they send to their victims. They try these ploys to make the ruse look official.
- Scams cost victims over $23 million. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA, has received reports of about 736,000 scam contacts since October 2013. Nearly 4,550 victims have collectively paid over $23 million as a result of the scam.
The IRS will not:- Call you to demand immediate payment. The IRS will not call you if you owe taxes without first sending you a bill in the mail.
- Demand that you pay taxes and not allow you to question or appeal the amount you owe.
- Require that you pay your taxes a certain way. For instance, require that you pay with a prepaid debit card.
- Ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- *hreaten to bring in police or other agencies to arrest you for not paying.
If you don't owe taxes, or have no reason to think that you do:- Do not give out any information. Hang up immediately.
- Contact TIGTA to report the call. Use their "IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting" web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.
- Report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the "FTC Complaint Assistant" on FTC.gov. Please add "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes.
If you know you owe, or think you may owe tax: Call the IRS at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you. Stay alert to scams that use the IRS as a lure. Tax scams can happen any time of year, not just at tax time. For more, visit " Tax Scams and Consumer Alerts" on IRS.gov. |
Donation Drive For Families Impacted by Domestic Violence
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The Cal Berkeley women's softball team is partnering with east bay law enforcement personnel to raise awareness about domestic violence. Together they are holding a donation drive called "Dress for Success" to benefit families who have been impacted by domestic violence. Often individuals and their families are disrupted from their homes with only the clothes they are wearing. Items needed for men, women, teens and small children, new or gently used:
- clothing
- maternity clothing
- shoes
- ties
- backpacks
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In addition, non-clothing items needed include unopened:
- shampoo
- diapers
- lotion
- hair products
- makeup
- toothbrushes
- toothpaste
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Financial support, checks can be made to either:
YWCA Support Network for Battered Women
Next Door, Solutions to Domestic Violence
Dress for Success runs from March 14, 2016 through June 31, 2016 with collection barrels located at Sunnyvale Public Safety headquarters. For more information, please see flyer here, or email PSO Robin Smith at rsmith@sunnyvale.ca.gov
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On January 29, at about 2:00 p.m. hours, a 77 year-old Sunnyvale resident was attacked unprovoked at the San Zeno Cal Train Station. The victim was walking when an unknown male suspect approached the victim and asked "What are you doing here?" The victim replied "I'm just walking." The suspect then punched the victim in the face causing him to fall to the ground. The suspect continued his attack by continually kicking the victim as he lay on the ground. The victim then heard the sounds of someone honking their car horn. The suspect stopped the attack and fled the scene. Anthony Pulido, Jr. was on-duty as a DHL courier and was in the area. He witnessed the unprovoked attack and immediately started to honk the horn to stop it. He then ran to and assisted the victim until DPS patrol units arrived on scene and provided medical care. The suspect was located and arrested by DPS soon after the incident.
On March 23, Anthony Pulido, Jr. was awarded with a Certificate of Recognition by the DPS command staff for his quick action. The victim was also present for the award and was very thankful. Anthony's family and coworkers were also present.
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 Each year, the second full week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as Public Safety Telecommunicators (9-1-1 Dispatchers). This week of recognition was first conceived by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County (Calif.) Sheriff's Office in 1981. In the early 1990s, US Congressman, Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced what became H.J. Res. 284 to create "National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week."
This national week of recognition was created to provide an opportunity to thank dispatch personnel across the United States for the great work they do on a daily basis that is unseen by the general public. The professionalism of our dispatchers is recognized throughout Santa Clara County as we have seen a member of our center win the County Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) of the Year award every year since we first started EMD (1998 - 2015).
During this week each year, the Santa Clara County Public Safety Communications Managers Association (PSCMA) holds an awards program to recognize 9-1-1 dispatchers throughout the county for their work during the previous year.
Sunnyvale's Public Safety Dispatcher of the Year is Josie Silva. In mid-2015, Josie took a very difficult call where a female caller reported she thought she had killed her mother by hitting her with a hammer. Josie remained calm and compassionate with the caller, keeping her engaged on the telephone while responders made their way to the scene. In keeping her on the phone, Josie was able to calm her down and keep her calm, enabling the responding officers to make contact with her without incident. Josie did not falter with this call despite how emotional it was for her, and it has served as an example for her co-workers on what a dispatcher can do under the most stressful conditions.
Sunnyvale's Senior Public Safety Dispatcher of the Year is Jenny Wood. She is also the recipient of the Countywide award of Emergency Medical Dispatcher of the Year. Jenny has done outstanding and dedicated work promoting the Critical Incident Dispatch Team (CIDT), demonstrating the professionalism of the dispatch occupation to SWAT and Command Staff, achieving authoritative understanding of the Incident Dispatcher role in fire incidents, and leading a county-wide initiative to establish a training plan for regional certification and potential mutual aid resources. In addition to her regular duties as a Control Room supervisor, she is taking on projects that affect dispatchers on a regional level. She has received notes of appreciation from San Jose Fire Communications and Santa Clara Dispatch for her assistance this past year.
In early 2015, Senior Public Safety Dispatcher Jenny Wood received a 9-1-1 call from an anxious male reporting his father had suddenly started sweating and was unable to talk. Jenny quickly assessed the call and got help started. While Jenny calmed the caller, she learned the caller's father was unconscious and breathing abnormally. As she was assessing the patient's breathing, his condition clearly started to deteriorate. Within minutes, he began to exhibit signs of agonal breathing. Jenny instructed the family members on how to properly position the patient for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). At one point, the caller described the patient's condition by stating, "he's gone." Jenny kept up the reassurance and, seconds later, began to deliver instructions to perform chest compressions until responders were able to arrive at the scene and take over.
90 seconds after the arrival of the field responders, they reported he was responsive to pain. Two minutes later, they reported he was talking to them. Jenny has consistently performed at an exceptional level in her compliance to EMD Protocol throughout the last fifteen years. This case reflects her professionalism and her compassion for our community.
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Crossfit Competition at Hayward PD
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On Saturday April 2, members of DPS participated in the Hayward Police Department's Second Annual Badges and Barbells Crossfit Competition. The competition is designed to test individual and team capabilities in endurance, strength and overall fitness. The extremely competitive event involves three separate workouts scored individually and totaled at the end to determine rankings.
The DPS Team consisted of Public Safety Officers Corrine Abernathy, Jesse Ashe, San Jose Police Officer David Cortez and Los Gatos Police Officer Katrina Freedman. The team performed outstanding, finishing number three overall out of 14 teams.
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Come celebrate wellness and healthy living for free at the Fit & Fun Fair on Saturday, April 30, 2016 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Columbia Neighborhood Center, 785 Morse Ave. The whole family is invited for an afternoon of fun, entertainment and valuable community wellness information from 50+ exhibitors. Explore the children's activity zone, bike rodeo and rock wall, and enjoy other activities including health screenings, fitness demonstrations, car seat safety inspections (call 408-730-7179 for appointments) and a special appearance by San Jose Giants' mascot Gigante.
For more information, visit FitandFunFair.inSunnyvale.com or call 408-730-7800.
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 The award-winning Junior Giants program is looking for kids who want to have fun this summer. Players gain confidence while learning baseball or improving their skills, and this confidence transfers over to school and family life. Leadership, teamwork, and integrity round out the four bases of character development, the foundation of Junior Giants.
Players are required to read over the summer. They learn techniques to prevent bullying and violence. And they get to play baseball, make new friends, and win Giants prizes. It's a lot of fun.
The Junior Giants are looking for coaches and assistant coaches. Even if you haven't coached before or don't know much about baseball, the main requirement is that you enjoy working with children. You'll have a lot of support during the eight week program. All coaches attend a clinic at either AT&T Park or the San Jose Giants field. You'll also have access to Sunnyvale PAL and SF Giants staff.
Find out more at the Fit & Fun Fair at Columbia Neighborhood Center on Saturday, April 30. Meet Junior Giants players and coaches, and sign up for the program.
 Get your picture taken with Gigantes, the mascot of the San Jose Giants, who will be at the Fit & Fun Fair between 1 and 2 p.m. Meet him and give him a high-five at the Sunnyvale PAL/Junior Giants booth.
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Service Volunteers Needed!
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New Beginnings Community Church and Peninsula Bible Church are funding & leading Beautiful Day makeover projects at Columbia Middle and Vargas Elementary schools in Sunnyvale the weekend of April 23-24... and they need 500 more volunteers of all ages!
There will be various construction, landscaping, cleaning, organizing as well as painting and muralist work depending on the school. There's a significant need for B-licensed contractors and certified electricians at COLUMBIA MIDDLE SCHOOL to install 34 video projectors throughout the weekend.
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ASSET OF THE MONTH - Youth as Resources
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Asset #9: Young people serve in the community one hour or more per week.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICE TO OTHERS
 Community service, volunteering, and service learning do more than allow youth to help the community-these activities also provide youth with the positive experiences, relationships, and connections that help them thrive. Research shows that the developmental asset of service to others results in higher academic performance, increased self-esteem, reduced incidence of depression, better problem-solving skills, and increased community involvement as an adult. One reason that youth may not serve is the perception that their assistance isn't welcomed-a Gallup poll found that adolescents were four times more likely to volunteer and help out in the community if they were asked, but only half of a national sample of youth reported that adults asked them to help out. Youth gain the greatest benefit from service programs that enable them to "do" instead of observe; to work with supportive adults; to demonstrate responsibility, to explore their own interests and ideas, and to reflect on the meaning of their activities.  The following discussion topics can help young people recognize the value of service to others and identify new kinds of service opportunities:
- Ask a young person to complete this sentence: "One way I'd like to change the world is..."
- What are some needs or problems that you see and are concerned about in the community?
- What do you think can solve these issues? What can you do to get the ball rolling?
- If you had to commit one year after high school to performing service in your own community, elsewhere in the United States, or abroad, where would you go and what would you choose to do?
ACTIVITIES
FOR FAMILIES
- At mealtime, share your recent community service activities with your family. This discussion demonstrates that your family values service, enables you to role-model community service, and opens a discussion about ways to help in the community.
- Serving others doesn't always mean taking on a big commitment-it can be as simple as picking up litter in the park, helping an elderly neighbor unload their groceries, or bringing a meal to a sick neighbor.
- Have a family meeting to consider the idea of a family service project, and make sure that everyone participates regardless of their age. Have everyone list their volunteer activities to see if others are interested in helping, and talk about additional causes that each member would like to support.
FOR ALL ADULTS  - Create youth-oriented volunteer opportunities that are diverse in the amount of time, energy, and expertise required. To make sure that youth get the most out of the experience, provide adequate training and make sure that the youth understand how their efforts will make a difference.
- When seeking volunteers, don't just reach out to the high-achieving youth in leadership programs! Young people from all backgrounds deserve the opportunity to experience the benefits of service.
- Be sure to affirm and recognize the efforts of all the youth who serve.
AT SCHOOL OR IN YOUTH PROGRAMS-
 Service learning programs that link educational or program objectives with opportunities to address real-world issues are a proven strategy for increasing developmental assets. Start a service club for youth! Work with the group to identify a list of causes that they care about (e.g., animals, education, environment, creating safe places for youth to hang out, health care, disaster relief, homelessness, peace, etc.) and identify ways that they can help. Help the youth research the need, define goals, create a plan (being sure to consider the potential needs and feelings of the recipients), and implement their service ideas. Be sure to guide the youth in reflecting on their experience at the end of the project. - You can also create service opportunities for youth within the school or program itself. Work as a group to list needs that youth have observed at the site, like picking up litter or refereeing games for younger children, and ask youth to choose which needs they'd like to address. If their choices require the permission of other staff members, have the youth choose a team of representatives to present their offer to the person in charge, and coach them on how to make their presentation.
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Nixle
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What is Nixle?
Nixle is a free community messaging system which utilizes a secure network to ensure creditability and reliability of information. DPS will use the NIXLE system to notify residents about important events happening within, or affecting the city. Residents receive updates via text, web, and email to stay informed of important notifications.
How can I sign-up for Nixle notifications?
- Go to www.nixle.com
- Click on "Sign Up Free!"
- Enter information on this screen (There is no need to enter home phone since the cell will be used for text alerts)
- Your account is started. Go to "Settings" and sign up for "Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety." Just be sure to click "Save" when completed. (You can sign up for other agencies by using either their name or a zip code to receive alerts.)
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| |  For questions and comments about the Sunnyvale DPS newsletter Beyond the Badge, you can e-mail us at: DFontaine@sunnyvale.ca.gov
© 2010-2016 City of Sunnyvale, CA |
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