Community Action [12-02-09]

[Updated 07-01-09]

City Press Releases Titles in Red

Important Dates or Information highlighted in tan

BHTTNA Comments Red w/yellow highlight

In Order of Appearance Date Date

Posted Deleted

H1N1 at TCC Northwest Campus 12-06-09

H1N1 Vaccination Schedules 12-02-09

Homeowners Free Seminars 11-18-09

SmartFlush Toilet Retrofit Program 11-12-09

Create an Emergency Plan 7-01-09

***********************************************************************************************************************

City News

TCC's Northwest Campus to offer H1N1 vaccination clinic

The Northwest Campus of Tarrant County College will host Tarrant County Public Health's fourth H1N1 vaccination event on Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will be held in the Student Center, rooms WSTU 1303 and 1305. The TCC Northwest Campus is located at 4801 Marine Creek Parkway.

The H1N1 vaccine is free and available to all Tarrant County residents. Appointments are not required. The public is urged to get vaccinated before beginning any Christmas travel; it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to take effect. For up-to-date H1N1 vaccine information, call 2-1-1 or check the Tarrant County Public Health website.

City News

H1N1 vaccinations offered to all Tarrant County residents

Tarrant County residents can go to any of 12 locations to receive a free H1N1 vaccination.

Since early October, Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) has followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, offering the vaccine only to target groups. The federal agency's recommendations were applicable while the vaccine was in limited supply. However, TCPH has determined that the vaccine is now widely available in both the public and private sectors.

Officials have seen a decrease in demand from target groups. Additionally, more vaccine has been released to Tarrant County. TCPH received more than 19,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine Nov. 20, and an additional 11,000 doses arrived Nov. 30. The Texas Department of State Health Services is expected to send even more.

Beginning Thursday Dec 3, 2009, TCPH will open five storefront clinics to dispense the vaccine. A sixth storefront will open later this month.

Storefront clinics are at:

Cooper Oaks Crossroads, 5415 S. Cooper St. #125, Arlington
Parkwood Village, 217 Harwood #106, Bedford
Eastchase Marketplace, 1550 Eastchase Parkway #100, Fort Worth
Cherry Hill Plaza, 1636 S. Cherry Lane, White Settlement
The Mercado, 1500 N. Main St., Suite 138, Fort Worth

Storefronts are open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Health centers are at:

Arlington Public Health Center, 536 W. Randol Mill Road, Arlington; 817-548-3990
Bagsby-Williams Public Health Center, 3212 Miller Ave., Fort Worth; 817-531-6738
La Gran Plaza Mall Public Health Center, 4200 South Freeway, Fort Worth; 817-920-5752
Northeast Public Health Center, 813 Brown Trail, Bedford; 817-285-4155
Northwest Public Health Center, 3800 Adam Grubb Road, Lake Worth; 817-238-4441
Southwest Public Health Center, 6551 Granbury Road, Fort Worth; 817-370-4530
Watauga Public Health Center, 6601 Watauga Road, Suite 122, Watauga; 817-514-5030

Health centers are open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A map of all vaccination locations is available on the Tarrant County Public Health website.

Residents are urged to get vaccinated before beginning Christmas travel. Some areas of the country are more severely affected by the H1N1 virus than Tarrant County.

City of Fort Worth Home

Save water — and money — with every flush

The City of Fort Worth is kicking off the SmartFlush Toilet Retrofit Program., which offers qualifying Fort Worth residential water customers up to two new water-saving toilets free.
The goal is to replace high-flow toilets that use 3.5 gallons of water or more per flush (GPF) with WaterSense certified high-efficiency models, using only 1.28 GPF. The toilets are dual-flush models, meaning they have two buttons on the top of the tank. One half-colored button is for a half-flush (0.8 gallons), and the other full-colored button is for a full flush (1.28 gallons).
Saving water today will help Fort Worth have sufficient water supply tomorrow. It is much cheaper to make the water we currently have go further than to import water from East Texas or to build a new reservoir. We will eventually need those other sources, but water-efficiency programs can help delay the need for those expensive new supplies.
Tarrant Regional Water District, which supplies Fort Worth with raw water, is projecting that 24 percent of its future water supply will come from conservation and reuse of existing resources.
To qualify for the SmartFlush Toilet Retrofit Program, you must be a Fort Worth Water Department residential water customer, your home must have been built before 1994 and the existing toilets must use at least 3 gallons per flush.
Under the voucher program, a customer submits an application to the water department’s conservation section. Once approved, the customer receives a voucher for up to two toilets, provided there are two bathrooms in the home. The customer takes the vouchers to one of the supplier’s three locations and picks up the toilets. Customers are responsible for installation costs. City staff will ensure that the toilets are installed at the homes through site visits. All toilets are white.
To apply for the SmartFlush Toilet Retrofit Program, call the number or visit the website at the end of this article.
Qualifying customers who are at least 60 years old or who have an annual household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level qualify for free toilets and free installation. Conservation Assistance and Retrofit Efficiency (CARE) targets senior citizens and low-income residents. It includes installation by a licensed plumber under contract with the water utility.
To apply for the CARE Program, customers should contact Community Action Partners at 817-392-5790.
Customers with existing 1.6-GPF toilets are not eligible for the SmartFlush program.
A customer renting or leasing a home may apply, but the application must include a signed landlord consent form.
To learn more, call 817-392-8740 or visit savefortworthwater.org.

Programs and Classes

Free seminars assist homeowners, would-be buyers

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Patricia Roberts Harris National Fair Housing Training Academy will present free mortgage lending seminars to address foreclosures and deceptive practices.

The seminars are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Both seminars will be at the Renaissance Worthington Hotel, 200 Main St.

Preventing Foreclosure will be presented from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Dec. 7-9. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that help buyers understand the steps to sustainable homeownership.

The class is recommended for housing professionals, housing counselors and home buyers.

Buyer Beware will be presented from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that help them identify and avoid deceptive practices that impair homeownership.

This class is recommended for housing professionals, counselors and homebuyers.

To learn more, call (202) 314-3422 or visit the National Fair Housing Training Academy website.

Neighborhood E-News

Create an Emergency Plan, KnoWhat2Do!

When seconds count, knowing what to do can make all the difference. During disasters, first responders can get overwhelmed.

You can help by being prepared to take action during an emergency.

Create and practice an emergency plan.
Take the time to learn about potential hazards in your area and talk to your family about the right ways to respond to them.
Make accommodations for family members with special needs and your pets.
Identify a place to reunite in case you have to evacuate your home.
Have copies of important documents in a waterproof container.
Seek shelter in an inner small room or basement, away from windows, during severe weather or a tornado.
Choose an out-of-town contact and make sure every family member knows their number. An out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
Put together an emergency supply kit for your home and car. Remember to check your kit yearly and update important documents. For a list of items to have in a kit, visit www.KnowWhat2Do.com.
Keep up to date on all types of emergencies 24 hours a day with a NOAA Weather Radio. A NOAA Weather Radio can be purchased at many local retailers and can cost as little as $20. The radios can be programmed to provide you with emergency information for your area. The codes for our surrounding counties are below.
- Tarrant County - 048439
- Denton County - 048121
- Parker County - 048367
- Wise County - 048497

For more information on how to protect yourself and your family, visit www.KnowWhat2Do.com or call the City of Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management at 817-392-6170.