HB Marine Safety Attends National Drowning Prevention Alliance

This week the Marine Safety Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Team visited Colorado Springs for the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) Conference. In addition to the abundant information and international contacts, the team also accepted the Community Lifesaver Award. This award is presented to an agency or business that takes a whole community approach to drowning prevention. The success of the following programs were identified as qualifiers for the award: Surfers’ Awareness in Lifesaving Techniques (SALT), Beach Rangers, Beach Education, Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard Surf Team, Surf City Nights, and off-site public education programs. Battalion Chief Doug Leach, Captain Leslie Schwene, Captain Jachin Hamborg, and HBJG Program Coordinator Samantha Dieterman were present to accept the award.

The team was also present to support Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard Elizabeth Felten who received the Lifesaver of the Year award from the NDPA for the heroic, life-saving act that saved the life of a drowning child at a pool party last year; she was also recognized by the Huntington Beach City Council and the California Surf Lifesaving Association. Felten and her mother, Rachel Svoboda with the Marine Safety CRR Team, were hosted by the Colorado Springs Fire Department’s fire crew or dinner and a tour of Station 19.

HB Central Park Slater Playground Improvements

On Wednesday, February 8, construction began to upgrade the Huntington Beach Central Park Slater Playground. The improvements will include brand new play equipment and a poured-in-place, two-layer rubber safety surfacing. The construction is expected to conclude in mid-March.

HB Sports Complex LED Upgrades

The Huntington Beach Sports Complex completed the second phase of upgrading the existing incandescent lights to LED fixtures. utilizing existing pole infrastructure. The second phase upgraded Fields 3 and 4. The upgrade removed corroded equipment while installing new equipment that consumes less energy, provides a superior lighting experience for participants and spectators, and reduces the level of light pollution emitted from the sports complex. The project was completed on budget and on schedule.

Memorial Plaque Honoring Officer Nicholas Vella

On Sunday, February 19, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in Marina Park in Newport Beach, the Huntington Beach Police Department, in collaboration with the Newport Beach Police Department, will unveil a memorial plaque in honor of Huntington Beach Police Officer Pilot Nicholas Vella who tragically lost his life in the line of duty on February 19, 2022.

Officer Vella, a 14-year veteran of the HBPD, was in a police helicopter responding to a call for service when it crashed into the waters off of Newport Beach. The unveiling will take place on the first anniversary of his passing.

New HB SANDS Registration Software & Website

This spring, the Community & Library Services Department will implement a new registration software system and website. The Community & Library Services Department has spent over a year working internally with the Finance Department, the Information Services Department, the City Attorney’s Office, and other departments to solicit public proposals from vendors. The City selected the vendor CivicPlus to offer a new registration solution to the HB community.

The CivicPlus software and website will launch on Wednesday, February 22. The new hbsands.org registration website will include the enhanced features, such as, expanded search functionality, mobile-friendly design, easier checkout process for online payments, and more.

The migration to CivicPlus will take place just in time for users to begin registering for spring activities and summer camp on Tuesday, March 7.

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