Oldest operating fire station in Fort Worth turns 96

Station 18 is one of the oldest buildings in Arlington Heights.
Fort Worth, Texas - Fort Worth Fire Station 18 celebrates its 96th birthday this year.

Station 18 opened in 1923 at the corner of Camp Bowie Boulevard and Carleton Avenue. It was one of 10 bungalow-style fire stations built in Fort Worth.

Charles F. Allen, who was a former Fort Worth building inspector, was the architect for most of the stations that had been designed to blend into existing residential neighborhoods. Today, Station 18 is the oldest working fire station in the city and the last of the bungalow-style stations.

Originally designed with a two-bay garage, the building was out of date by the 1970s with the introduction of larger fire engines. City officials sought to tear down the fire station and build a new one. Voters approved $250,000 for a new building in a 1978 bond election, but the Arlington Heights Sector Council fought to save the landmark, one of the oldest public buildings in Arlington Heights.

Even though the station was saved from the wrecking ball, it underwent renovation in the mid-1980s. Every effort was made to preserve the historic exterior. Inside, however, drastic changes were made. The stairwell was moved, the brass fire pole and fireplace was eliminated, and a new enlarged steel-framed bay door was excavated at the front of the building to accommodate larger, modern fire trucks.

Legend has it that Station 18 is haunted. Over many years, a number of firefighters have had mysterious experiences at the station, such as hearing heavy footsteps and toilets flushing. A few have even seen human apparitions.

DART to Add Special Service on Route 466 For Nelson Golf Fans, Effective May 10-12, 2019

Dallas, Texas - DART will provide additional service on Route 466 between Ledbetter and Buckner stations Friday through Sunday, May 10-12, for fans attending the AT&T Byron Nelson at Trinity Forest Golf Club.

Friday service will be every 15 minutes from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, buses will operate at 15-20-minute intervals between 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Free parking will be available at both stations. Thanks for riding DART.

https://www.dart.org/rideralerts/fullra.asp?id=4440

Fort Worth celebrates opening of HUD EnVision Center

Observing the opening of the EnVision Center were Mayor Betsy Price, District 5 Councilmember Gyna Bivens and HUD Regional Administrator Beth Van Duyne.

Fort Worth, Texas - The City of Fort Worth and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have officially opened the doors to Texas’ only HUD EnVision Center at Martin Luther King Community Center. The venter is in Fort Worth’s Stop Six neighborhood, with services targeted to residents of the Cavile Place public housing complex, although other area residents can access services.

View a video about the opening events.
HUD’s EnVision Centers are premised on the notion that financial support alone can’t solve the problem of poverty, and that collective efforts across a diverse set of organizations, both public and private, are needed to help low-income individuals and families rise out of it. The programs offered are based on the EnVision Center’s four pillars: economic empowerment, educational advancement, health and wellness, and character development.

“Fort Worth has seen great success in leveraging public-private partnerships to provide resources to our citizens,” said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. “We look forward to collaborating with HUD, Fort Worth Housing Solutions and our other EnVision Center partners to provide the training and resources Stop Six residents need to become self-sufficient.”

“EnVision Centers are an investment in America’s and Fort Worth’s most important resource — our people,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “This center will be a resource to residents and will promote self-sufficiency among HUD-assisted households. Mayor Price and the City of Fort Worth have been exemplary partners in this venture. We want everyone to achieve their American dream — we just need to create the conditions in which people can realize their potential, and that’s what this opening is all about.”

The opening of the EnVision Center at the MLK Community Center, 5565 Truman Drive, coincides with the revitalization of the Cavile neighborhood in Stop Six. The city recently allocated $2.56 million for neighborhood improvements, including new sidewalks, brush cleanup, blighted and dilapidated structure teardown and new security cameras to reduce crime.

Each EnVision Center has convened local stakeholders and resident councils to assist in prioritizing the services most needed by the community. HUD will develop tools to track and measure resident outcomes of EnVision Center participants and services — the goal of which is to ensure EnVision Centers are able to achieve and monitor progress against the goals of the program.

AUSTIN PARTICIPATES IN WORLDWIDE CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE BUILDING SAFETY

Join us for special activities during the 39th annual Building Safety Month

Austin, Texas – In May 2019, The Austin Code Department and the Development Services Department are participating in the 39th annual Building Safety Month, a worldwide campaign presented by the International Code Council, its members and partners to promote building safety. First observed in 1980, Building Safety Month raises awareness about critical safety issues from structural to fire prevention, plumbing and mechanical systems, and energy efficiency.

Local events to celebrate Building Safety Month include:

May 1 and May 4

• Reaching out to developers and construction professionals with tabling events hosted at the Building Safety Month national sponsor Home Depot 

May 9

• Both departments will participate in a proclamation 

May 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

• There will be an informational Live Permit Chat, an online question and answer session on Reddit - Go to austintexas.gov/permitchatfor more information. On the event day, the live chat link will be activated.

Building codes and the officials who enforce them are making our families and communities safer and more resilient. Homes and buildings that are built in compliance with building safety codes result in resilient structures that minimize the risks of death, injury and property damage. In the wake of a disastrous hurricane season, rampant wildfires and devastating earthquakes, building safety is even more important. Building safety affects everyone and modern, updated building codes save lives.

This year’s themes are:

• May 1–5, Preparing for Disasters: Build Strong, Build Smart;
• May 6–12, Ensuring a Safer Future Through Training and Education;
• May 13–19, Securing Clean, Abundant Water for All Communities;
• May 20–26, Construction Professionals and Homeowners: Partners in Safety; and
• May 27–31, Innovations in Building Safety.

Building codes have protected the public for thousands of years. The earliest known code of law—the Code of Hammurabi, king of the Babylonian Empire, written circa 2200 B.C.—assessed severe penalties, including death, if a building was not constructed safely. The regulation of building construction in the United States dates back to the 1700s. In the early 1900s, the insurance industry and others with similar concerns developed the first model building code.

Today, the International Codes, developed by the Code Council and adopted by our community, are the most widely used and adopted set of building safety codes in the U.S. and around the world.

Learn more about Building Safety Month at buildingsafetymonth.com, join the conversation on social media at #BuildingSafety365, and log in to the Live Permit Chat on Tuesday, May 21 from 11 AM to 1 PM at austintexas.gov/permitchat.

CHIEF'S RUN SHOWCASES FUTURE OFFICERS

Austin, Texas - On Tuesday, May 7, 2019, the 140th Cadet Class of the Austin Police Department (APD) participated in the traditional Chief’s Run. This run is focused on unity within the community and department. Chief of Police Brian Manley addressed the cadets after the run.

Chief Manley, along with APD’s Assistant Chiefs, joined the 48 cadets on a run that began at 7 a.m. at the Austin-American Statesman parking lot. It ended at the Texas Peace Officers Memorial.

The run started at the Statesman parking lot, heading north on Congress Ave and will end at the State Capitol. The cadets will be commissioned at graduation on Friday, May 10, 2019, at 2 p.m. at the Great Hills Baptist Church - 10500 Jollyville Rd, Austin, TX 78759.

APD TRAINING ACADEMY GRADUATES NEW OFFICERS

Austin, Texas - The Austin Police Department will graduate 48 new officers during ceremonies at 2 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2019. Commencement ceremonies for the 140th cadet class will take place at Great Hills Baptist Church - 10500 Jollyville Rd., Austin, TX 78759.

The graduating cadets, who will be commissioned during the ceremony, successfully completed a demanding 32-week training program. The training that the 140th cadet class received included legal issues, driving, crisis intervention training, community policing, leadership, defensive tactics and physical fitness.

During the ceremony, Chief Manley will administer the Oath of Office to the cadets. Awards presented during the ceremony will include Honor Cadet and Humanitarian Award.

Mosquito season starts now, and prevention is key

Starting this month, city workers are trapping and testing mosquitoes at 71 sites. The city is also applying larvicide to standing-water sites.

Fort Worth, Texas - The 2019 mosquito season is underway in Fort Worth as the Code Compliance Department has begun setting out 71 mosquito traps for this year’s testing.

Mosquito surveillance is a significant prevention tool used by the city and its partner, the University of North Texas Health Science Center, to collect and identify mosquitoes and test them for various diseases such as West Nile virus. Surveillance and testing activities occur weekly from May through the end of October.

Prevention is the absolute key to help control mosquitoes that spread viruses. Adult mosquitoes live inside and outside and they can bite during the day and the evening hours. Even a few infected mosquitoes can lead to outbreaks in a community.

Protect yourself, your family and community

• Dump standing water in and around your home by emptying and scrubbing all outdoor containers such as pools, toys, planters, birdbaths and trash containers.
• Tightly cover water storage containers such as buckets, cisterns and rain barrels so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs.
• Clean out gutters to avoid standing water. Examine them for damage that might cause water to collect.
• Inspect your yard after ever rainfall and empty any containers or areas where water has collected. Watch for puddles where condensation gathers from the AC unit.
• Use screens on windows and doors and repair any holes in the screens.
• Use insect repellent anytime you’re outside. Use an insect repellent with one of these active ingredients; DEET, Picaridin or oil of lemon/eucalyptus or other EPA-approved repellent.

To learn more, call 817-392-1234.