City of Yuma Parks & Recreation, Fire, Police Calls For Service & Incidents

Corrected Information For This Reporting Period And Year to Date (As of October 28, 2009)

Yuma Police Department

For the week of October 12th through October 18th, Yuma Police Department responded to an average of 165 calls per day. During this week YPD:

• Responded to 1,158 calls for service
• Documented 213 police reports
• Responded to 26 non-injury accidents
• Responded to 17 injury accidents

The Drive Safe Location was 16th Street and the targeted intersection was 16th Street and Redondo Drive. As of October 19, 2009, Project Drive Safe has resulted in 2,471 Citations being issued.

From January 1st through August 31st, the Yuma Police Department has:

• Received 36,646 9-1-1 calls
• Received 145,085 incoming calls in the Public Safety Communications office
• Issued 4,979 Traffic Citations
• Made 907 Juvenile Arrests and 2,815 Adult Arrests

From January 1st to October 18th, the Yuma Police Department has:

• Responded to 50,754 calls for service
• Documented 10,858 police reports
• Responded to 1,898 noninjury accidents
• Responded to 741 injury accidents
• Responded to 4,140 alarm calls resulting in 21 police reports

Driving on roadways under construction can be confusing and time consuming due to restricted driving lanes, speed limits, and turning restrictions. When driving in a construction zone, be sure to observe all posted traffic control devices. Plan ahead if a construction zone is in your daily driving route. Leave earlier and prepare for detours from your normal driving route, or take a completely different route to avoid the construction zone.

Driving restrictions in construction zones are in place for the safety of workers, pedestrians and drivers. Remember to follow all lane, speed and turning restrictions, as they are enforceable traffic violations. And always remember to Drive Safe!

Yuma Fire Department

For the week of October 18th through October 24th, Yuma Fire Department responded to 214 Emergency Calls for Service, which included:

• 9 Commercial Assignments including a smoke alarm activation from cooking on a stove, food burned when left unattended in a commercial oven overnight, a trailer fire, and various alarms
• 14 Motor Vehicle Crashes with one involving a pedestrian, one involving a pole, one roll-over. and one involving a motorcycle
• 1 Hazard Materials Response for a vehicle leaking fuel
• 171 Other Medical Emergencies (serious to minor), nine for difficulty breathing, eight for chest pain, eighteen fall victims, three unconscious people, seven seizure cases, five diabetic emergencies, one possible strokes, fourteen patients with mental problems, two calls for a newborn baby, and miscellaneous other illnesses and injuries
• 19 Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments that included an air conditioner fan motor that overheated, two calls for unauthorized burning of trash, a mattress fire, a vehicle fire, lines down across the driveway of a residence, a small brush fire, and various alarms

From January 1st to October 24th, the Yuma Fire Department has responded to 9,003 emergency calls for service, which include:

• 303 Commercial Assignments, including -14 fires in businesses, 11 fires in apartments, and various alarms
• 28 Hazardous Material Responses
• 14 Mutual Aid Assignments
• 836 Motor Vehicle Crashes
• 6,880 Medical Emergencies (serious to minor), Including - 849 for difficulty breathing, 592 for chest pain, 865 fall victims, 545 unconscious people, 215 seizure cases, 207 diabetic emergencies, 136 possible stroke cases, 109 poisoning/overdoses, 220 patients with mental problems, 54 allergic reactions, 64 calls for a child locked inside of a vehicle, and miscellaneous other illnesses and injuries
• 942 Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments, including - 51 fires in private residences, 70 dumpster fires, 19 grass or brush fires, 18 fires outside of a structure, 53 vehicle fires, and various alarms

As October comes to an end, we would like to thank everyone who participated in the many activities that took place in our community during Fire Prevention Month. Also, the end of October brings Halloween and a variety of associated events. Please keep safety in mind in what ever activities you are involved in. Here are a few suggestions:

For the Kids

• Walk, on sidewalks, not in the street. Look both ways before crossing the street. Cross the street only at corners. Don't hide or cross the street between parked cars. Wear light-colored or reflective-type clothing, so you are more visible.
• Never go out alone, and grade school children should always go out with an adult. Carry a flashlight to light your way. Keep away from open fires and candles.
• Only visit homes that have the porch light on. Accept your treats at the door and never go into a stranger's house.
• Use face paint instead of masks or things that will cover your eyes.
• Have a grown-up inspect your treats before eating. And don't eat candy if the package is already opened.

For the Grown-ups

• Have your kids only wear costumes, wigs, and props labeled flame-retardant or flame-resistant. Provide children with flashlights and/or glow sticks to light their way and make them more visible. Use flashlights, glow sticks, or battery operated candles to light up pumpkins and not candles with open flames.
• Never let your children trick or treat alone and go along with your grade school children.
• Teach your children not to play with fire, to stay well away from any open flames, and what to do if their clothes should catch fire ("Stop, Drop, and Roll").

For more information about fire and injury prevention, contact the Yuma Fire Department Public Information Office at 373-4855.

Parks and Recreation Department

For the week of October 21st through October 27th in the City of Yuma Parks and Recreation Department:

• The Graffiti Crew responded to and cleaned up 44 incidents of graffiti
• 289 rounds of 9 hole golf were played at Desert Hills and Arroyo Dunes Golf Courses
• 482 rounds of 18 hole golf were played at Desert Hills and Arroyo Dunes Golf Courses
• The Putter Inn served 492 meals
• 22 events were held at the Yuma Civic Center with 2,045 people attending those events
• A total of 327 games were played at City of Yuma athletic facilities
• The Yuma Art Center hosted 6 events with total attendance of 1,909
• 127 ramadas, parks and fields were rented for special events
• 11 programs were offered through the City's recreation program, with 4,162 members of the Yuma community participating in those programs

Since July 1, 2009:

• 1,004 incidents of graffiti have been addressed and cleaned up
• 1,440 rounds of 9 hole golf have been played at Desert Hills and Arroyo Dunes Golf Courses
• 7,432 rounds of 18 hole golf have been played at Desert Hills and Arroyo Dunes Golf Courses
• The Putter Inn has served 6,063 meals
• 443 events have been held at the Yuma Civic Center with an attendance of 35,890
• A total of 2,568 games were played at City of Yuma athletic facilities
• The Yuma Art Center hosted 51 events with a total attendance of 8,806
• 1,476 ramadas, parks and fields were rented by Yuma area residents
• 401 programs were offered with 94,810 people attending those programs

There were 44 cases of graffiti abated during the week of October 21 through October 27, 2009, with a total of 1,004 removed from July 1st to date.

Vandalism and graffiti clean-up costs the Yuma taxpayers over $200,000 each year. Please help us reduce vandalism by reporting incidences of crime to 78-Crime and Graffiti to the hot line of 329-2828. If you witness a crime in progress, call 9-1-1.

Bark Park Rules and Tips

This week's Bark Park rule reminder - Dog owners must scoop the poo! It is required that all dog owners immediately pick up their dog's waste. Poo bags and trash receptacles are located throughout the park for your convenience. Scooping your dog's poo isn't just a courtesy for other park users; it is also the healthy and environmentally sound thing to do.

Need some reasons why it is a good idea to scoop the poo? Here you go:

• It is estimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million fecal coli form bacteria.
• It attracts disease-carrying pests and flies.
• Diseases and parasites can easily be transmitted to other pets through feces.
• It is NOT a source for composting since it can carry many parasites, even in healthy pets.
• Unlike cow manure, pet waste is protein based, which makes it a bad thing.

This week's Bark Park etiquette tip: Good manners on the part of your pooch are a Bark Park pre-requisite. Dogs visiting the park should not mouth, body slam, or jump on people. Your dog should be under your control at all times.

The Bark Park is there for the health and enjoyment of the Yuma community and their dogs. Unlike the other parks in Yuma, the Bark Park has some unique rules that must be followed to ensure everyone's safety and maximize enjoyment. The Bark Park is located at 1705 E. Palo Verde Street in Yuma and is open Wednesday through Monday from dawn until 9:00 p.m. The park is closed on Tuesdays for maintenance.

For More Information

For further information, please contact Greg Hyland, CPM, the City of Yuma's Director of Communications & Public Affairs at (928) 373-5023 or by e-mail or Dave Nash, City of Yuma Public Affairs Coordinator at (928) 373-5015 or by e-mail.

Follow the City of Yuma on Twitter

You can now follow the City of Yuma and receive the latest information from your Twitter account. The City's Twitter address is www.twitter.com/CityOfYuma. (This link will take you to an external website that is not part of the City of Yuma official website.)

Media Contacts

Members of the media may contact Director of Communications and Public Affairs Greg Hyland, CPM at (928) 373-5023 or (928) 580-4751, or Public Affairs Coordinator Dave Nash at (928) 373-5015, or (928) 941-0199.

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