Area briefing

Residents will be able to bid on 18 of Southern Nevada’s most eligible firefighters during the 12th annual Fire and Rain Firefighter Bachelor Auction, hosted by the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation.

The event is set for 6-10 p.m. June 4 at Rain nightclub inside the Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road. Proceeds will benefit the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation’s programs and services and the UMC Lions Burn Center.

Auction packages will include show tickets, jewelry gift certificates, hotel and spa packages, restaurant gift certificates and more. Admission is $40 for women or $35 if purchased online and $80 for men or $75 if purchased online. Tickets are on sale at theburnfoundation.org.

VIP access wristbands are available while supplies last and start at $50 for women and $90 for men. They include admission into the auction and after-parties at Palms nightclubs, including Rain, Ghostbar, Moon and the Playboy Club.

The Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation is a nonprofit organization guided by valley firefighters from Las Vegas Fire & Rescue and the Clark County, North Las Vegas, Nellis and Henderson fire departments.

The organization reaches out to the Southern Nevada community and the local American Red Cross chapter during catastrophes, offering assistance in areas where other organizations are unable to help.

The organization provides assistance for sick or injured children through financial aid, clothing and furniture donations.

More than 40,000 valley residents have benefited from the foundation in the past two years, and the organization has raised more than $1,150,000 for the Southern Nevada community since 2003.

Volunteer patrol graduates
to serve as extra eyes, ears for police

The inaugural class of Metropolitan Police Department Volunteer Patrol Services Representatives graduated May 11 during a ceremony in the Jerry Keller Training Center’s auditorium, 9880 W. Cheyenne Ave.

The event featured 21 graduates and a keynote address by department Sheriff Doug Gillespie.

The academy included 63 hours of training in numerous subjects, including map reading, communications and radio procedures, conflict management and other associated skills necessary for participants to complete their volunteer duties.

Members of the patrol are unarmed and have no arrest powers. Their primary function is to serve as additional eyes and ears for the department during large events and at other times when their additional observation skills and reporting capabilities will be of benefit, the police department said.

Patrol services members also will assist with other law enforcement-related tasks that do not require a commissioned police officer.

The graduates will be equipped with police radios and will be assigned to the department’s eight area commands.

For more information, call 828-3111 or visit lvmpd.com.

Air advisory includes tips
to help reduce ozone levels

The Clark County Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management has issued an advisory for ground-level ozone pollution from May through September.

The advisory covers the late spring and summer months, when weather conditions and levels of pollutants can trigger a buildup of ground-level ozone during afternoon hours.

Ozone is a gas that occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere and protects Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

At ground level, ozone is a key ingredient of urban smog during the hottest months of the year.

Residents are asked to help reduce ozone levels with the following measures:

n Fill up your gas tank after sunset.

n Plan errands so they can be done in one trip.

n Try not to spill gasoline when filling up, and don’t top off your gas tank.

n Keep your car well-maintained.

n Use mass transit or carpooling.

n Don’t idle your car engine unnecessarily.

n Walk or ride your bike whenever practical and safe.

n Consider low-maintenance landscaping that uses less water and doesn’t require the use of gas-powered lawn tools to maintain.

n Turn off lights and electronics when not in use. Less fuel burned at power plants means cleaner air.