Spotlight

IS THERE A LITTLE ORANGE FLAG IN YOUR YARD?  OR MAYBE SOME ORANGE PAINT MARKINGS?

If there are flags or markings in or on your yard or near your yard, it means somebody – a neighbor or someone planning to do construction work near your yard – has called Missouri One Call Systems to have all nearby utilities located.  When someone is going to dig up the ground for any reason, they are required to locate utilities first.  The company that locates the utilities will come out and mark with paint all the utility locations in the vicinity so that whoever is digging will not dig up a utility line.  Now you can find out what’s going on simply and easily.

Missouri One-Call Systems (MOCS) has added a helpful feature to their Website – the ability to research utility-locating work by area.  “Ticket Search” gives the general public the ability to obtain information about utility-locate work being done in their area, who’s digging in a specific area, and what they are doing.  Users can search by ticket number, if they have one, or they can define the search using other criteria such as date, address, excavator name, etc.  Click here to go directly to the "Ticket Search" page.

Safety and Emergency Management

On this page, Kirkwood's Public Safety departments provide a variety of helpful articles and tip sheets related to safety.  These are organized seasonally (e.g., tornado safety during tornado season, which is typically spring/summer, and pool safety tips during the summer, etc.).  If there is a safety issue you would like to see discussed here, please email the City's Public Information Officer at vonbehen@kirkwoodmo.org.

EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS

To contact the Kirkwood Safety / Emergency Management Department:

     Director, Safety/Emergency Management:  Christian Dunman
     Email:  dunmancl@kirkwoodmo.org
     Phone: 314-822-5808

Seasonal Spotlight:

PREPARE....SURVIVE.....RECOVER:  7 Steps on the Road to Earthquake Safety


Year-Round Spotlight:

FIRE SAFETY TIPS FOR SENIORS


May is National Water Safety Month

Each year, drowning claims more than 6,500 lives in the U.S. alone. Forty percent of all drowning deaths are children under the age of 5, while another 15 to 20 percent are between 5 and 20 years old. Nearly 90 percent of all drowning deaths occur within 10 feet of safety, and more than two-thirds of victims cannot swim. A responsible supervising adult can be identified in 84 percent of toddler drownings, but only 18 percent of these incidents are actually witnessed. A full list of Water Safety Tips is available below, but here are two very important ones: 1) Know how to swim, and teach children water safety and swimming skills as early as possible.  2) Maintain constant visual contact with children in a pool or pool area. Always watch your child when he or she is in or near water.

LEARN TO SWIM:  The City of Kirkwood’s Parks & Recreation department offers affordable swimming lessons at the Aquatic Center throughout the summer and to all age ranges, including adults.   The Spring/Summer Program Guide lists class schedules and costs, or call 822-5855.  A full listing of aquatics programs can be found here.

The PARC (Participating at Reduced Costs) & Courtney Shupe Scholarship Programs:  The PARC and Shupe Scholarship programs are designed to assist young people, ages 17 and under, whose families or households face economic challenges, in enjoying Kirkwood aquatics’ programs. Call Jason at 822-5856 for information.  THE POOL OPENS MAY 26.


SPRING SAFETY TIPS

TORNADO SAFETY: WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO PREPARE

TORNADOES:  ARE YOU READY?

15 TORNADO SAFETY TIPS

TORNADOES:  A SLIDE SHOW

FOR KIDS:  TORNADO SAFETY LESSONS

SUMMER SAFETY TIPS

EXCESSIVE HEAT

SUNBURN SAFETY FOR KIDS

EXTREME HEAT:  KNOW THE TERMS

EXTREME HEAT - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

SUMMER SWIMMING SAFETY

Lightning Safety Tips

LIGHTNING STRIKES are also a summer safety issue. It may seem like a hassle when the lifeguard at Kirkwood Pool tells you to get out of the water because thunder has been heard, but the scary truth is that water is a deadly place to be when lightning strikes occur. July is the deadliest month for lightning strikes. Click here for information on staying safe during a lightning storm [Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration].

Fitness and Wellness

Click here to open a Parks & Recreation flyer on current fitness classes and programs being offered.  For more information about our classes, programs, and facilities, please visit the Parks & Recreation pages on this Website.

WINTER SAFETY TIPS:

BLIZZARD AWARENESS DEVELOPING A FAMILY DISASTER PLAN

PURCHASING A GENERATOR

GENERATOR SAFETY

JUST HOW COLD IS IT?

HYPOTHERMIA:  HOW TO RECOGNIZE IT

SHOVELING SNOW THE SAFE WAY

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE STRANDED

WHAT CAUSES WINTER STORMS?

WHAT TO DO DURING A POWER OUTAGE

WINTERIZING YOUR CAR

Holiday Safety Tips

The Thanksgiving weekend kicks off the holiday season.  It's the first big shopping weekend before Christmas, and it's also a weekend when many people travel to visit friends and relatives. Thanksgiving is also one of the most dangerous holidays on Missouri's roadways.

Arrive alive this holiday, by following these safety tips:

  • Plan your trip.
  • Stay alert and make safety your first priority.  Inattention is a leading cause of traffic crashes.
  • Expect the unexpected.  Pay close attention to those motorists around you.
  • Drive the speed limit and obey all traffic rules and signs.  Speeding was a contributing factor in 30 percent of the fatal and personal injury crashes during the last holiday period.
  • Drive courteously.
  • Move over or slow down if you see emergency personnel on the side of the road with their lights flashing.
  • Minimize distractions:  Turn down the radio, and don't use your mobile phone while driving.
  • Turn on your headlights so others can see you.
  • Use safety belts and child safety seats.  The use of seat belts and child restraints is one of the most effective ways to prevent death and personal injury when a traffic crash happens.
  • Get plenty of rest before your trip.  Change drivers if you feel tired.
  • Don't drive if you have been drinking.
  • Allow plenty of distance before entering or crossing a roadway and when approaching oncoming traffic.

Information provided by the Safety Council of Greater St. Louis

Arrive Alive is the theme of the safety campaign sponsored by the
Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety.