A safe workplace is a safe workforce!
Come out and learn about fixing hazards in the workplace from various departments who will showcase workplace safety exhibits. There will also be safety surveys, real-life safety scenarios and raffle prizes for participating employees to win.
Kona Ice Truck will also be there handing out free ice treats!
If you miss today, come out tomorrow to DPW’s West End Depot (Woodman Road) from 2-4pm!
Safety first!
First come first serve in the Finance Conference Room, 139 of the Administration Building.
Ice Cream is $3.00
All proceeds go to the Christmas Mother!
Water bottles seem to be everywhere you look. Perhaps right now there is one on your desk, or you filled a water bottle for your child as they headed out the door this morning. In fact, water has become the second most popular drink (behind soda). However, water lovers got a rude awakening recently when a new report found that the benefits of drinking water may have been oversold. Apparently, the suggestion to drink eight glasses of water is nothing more than a suggestion, not based on scientific research.
Don’t put your water bottle or glass down just yet! There are plenty of reasons to drink water. In fact, drinking water is essential to your health. Think of water as a nutrient your body needs. It can be found in other liquids, plain water and in high-water content food (fruits and vegetables). Throughout the day fluid loss occurs continuously, from skin evaporation, breathing, urine and stool. These losses must be replaced daily for good health. When water intake does not equal output, dehydration occurs. In addition, fluid loss is accentuated in warmer climates (think summer in RVA), during exercise, in high altitudes, and in older adults whose sense of thirst may not be as sharp.
Here are six evidence-based reasons to drink water:
Drinking Water Maintains Body Fluid Balance- The body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and stabilization of body temperature.Try these helpful tips to support increased fluid intake:
This will be held in the Administration Board Room.
The topic of this Brown Bag will be how GIS and Fitness and Wellness have collaborated to find and map safe walking routes from County office and school locations.
For more information, check out the GIS Brown Bag Flyer.
The primary objective of the Henrico Youth Police Academy is to educate and inform youth participants about the many aspects of police work. The academy is designed to give participants exposure to various police situations, and to explain how and why officers respond to and handle various situations. This will be accomplished through both classroom instruction and practical exercises, upon which students will assume the role of an officer and be evaluated on how they handle different situations. In addition, they will be exposed to the adult and juvenile criminal courts.
The academy will give participants the opportunity to see the benefits of public service and learn about challenges and demands associated with law enforcement as a profession. Participants will learn about special police units and how each works with patrol. They will gain a better understanding of law enforcement and the incredible risks and responsibilities officers accept in keeping all citizens safe. The ultimate goal of the Youth Police Academy is to improve the relationships between police and youth, while exposing them to a possible future career in law enforcement.
This week-long academy will be held starting Monday, August 20, 2018. It will conclude with a graduation ceremony and catered lunch on Friday, August 24,2018. Each day begins promptly at 9 a.m. and concludes at 4 p.m.
For more information check out the Henrico Youth Police Academy flyer.
Applications for the Academy are due July 30, 2018.
Henrico County Government offices will be closed on July 3 in observance of Independence Day.
Henrico employs thousands of people. What most of us don’t realize is that there are many positions and different aspects of jobs in the County that we wouldn’t even think existed. The perfect example of this is Sarah Garrison, an Account Clerk in the Finance Section of the Sheriff’s Office.
Sarah has worked for Henrico County for almost three years. The primary function of her job is to handle purchase orders and pay all bills that have to do with the Sheriff’s facility. Sounds pretty much like her job title right?
Did you also know, Sarah is the person in Henrico County who processes unclaimed dead bodies? Yes, that is a job that must be done in order for our county to continue to function and serve our citizens. When someone passes away, and there is no immediate next of kin, friend, or someone to claim that person, they are sent to Bennett’s Funeral Home and from there Sarah is notified.
“Processing unclaimed bodies is the most interesting thing I have ever done. No two are the same and you never know when they are going to pop up,” Sarah said. This past year alone she has had to process 35 of them. They show up on her desk multiple different ways. No, not the actual bodies, the paperwork associated with them. Whether from the hospital, nursing home or Police Division directly, Sarah’s job for the next 10 days is to try to find anyone with a relationship to the deceased person and turn them over to that family. After 10 days, if her search is unsuccessful the process of assembling a packet to submit to the County Attorney begins. This is all part of the unclaimed procedure set forth by the State and handled by our Sheriff’s department. “It seems like a crazy process but we have a fantastic relationship with the Police Division who are always willing to help try and find next of kin,” Sarah said.
Once the packet goes to the County Attorney, the County Attorney files a motion and draft order in the Henrico Circuit Court. After it is processed, the County Attorney forwards the executed order to the Sheriff’s office giving them authority to proceed with the cremation. All unclaimed bodies are property of the Sheriff’s Office. Each body is given a death certificate and ID and are kept at the funeral home until either someone comes and asks for the remains or they have enough people to perform a bulk burial. Since starting this specific duty Sarah has only had two cases where the individual could not be cremated, by order of the medical examiner. If for any reason, there is any doubt when trying to identify someone, and it is not 100% conclusive, that person must be buried, not cremated, in case DNA testing is needed in the future. Sarah handles all arrangements for this as well.
“I think it is great that the county offers this and that the law enforcement agencies in the county can work together so easily towards a common goal. I have heard that this process does not go as smooth in other localities,” said Sarah.
This unique job duty is a part of Sarah’s work that continues to benefit and help Henrico County. Through collaboration with the Police Division and full support from the Sheriff’s Office, unclaimed bodies are cared for just as much as anyone else. So, the next time you are chatting with a co-worker about their job, ask if there are any fun and interesting aspects you might not know about. Their answers might surprise you!
Henrico’s Department of Public Works is working hard to protect the County’s waterways, one piece of litter at a time. Many people do not realize that litter and other pollutants get washed down by precipitation into our streams, degrading water quality and our residents’ quality of life. The Department of Public Works’ Engineering and Environmental Services Division (EESD) provides education to the public about protecting our waterways, to stay in compliance with the County’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit and to help keep Henrico a desirable place to live, work and play.
One way EESD is working to educate the public is through art. Last August, EESD hosted a Paint Out Pollution Pilot Project at the Woodman Road Depot. Paint Out Pollution, a partnership between the James River Association and Art on Wheels, was created to increase awareness of stormwater pollution and celebrate the native plant and animal species that call the James River and its tributaries home. Several local artists created stencils for Paint Out Pollution. Four inlets, three of which are along Jesse Chavis Drive, were painted by 18 volunteers and stenciled with the educational message, “Your river starts here. Only rain in the drain.” Marking inlets on certain County municipal sites is a requirement of our MS4 permit. Stenciling is one option that can be used to satisfy this requirement. A special thanks to Henrico County’s Department of General Services for providing a host location for the project.
In the spirit of Henrico’s new Volunteer Policy, several EESD employees teamed together to clean up an approximately 2,000-foot section of North Run bordering the Woodman Road Government Complex this past March. There is something about a walk along a stream that seems to make the stresses of life melt away – even when you are carrying a large trash bag. Fourteen employee participants collected 18 construction-sized bags of trash and several tires. Much of this trash came from litter on Woodman Road that was washed down to the stream through roadside ditches before it could get collected from the regularly scheduled maintenance crews. The division is planning a similar event this coming fall for another Henrico waterway in need of cleanup.
For more information on how you can help protect Henrico’s waterways, visit the following sources from our partners:
On May 21, the Henrico Police Division clinched the title of “Fittest Public Safety Division” for the first time in Henrico Public Safety Games history. This year’s friendly fitness competition was the first of its kind and the beginning of a new era.
In previous Public Safety Games each registered two-person team was invited to a one-day only competition. This year, a three-week preliminary tournament heated up the 2018 battle. Each week teams were given a different challenge, with the full week to complete it. During the preliminary period, five Police and four Fire teams competed against their own division to earn the number one overall seed for the finals. This is the breakdown of how the preliminary weeks went:
After the three preliminary challenges were completed, teams were ranked and the number one overall seed from each respective division was invited to participate in the head-to-head finals competition. Fire Lieutenant Ben Martin and firefighter Justin Brittle represented the Division of Fire and police officers Austin Lafollette and Alan Jenson represented the Police Division in the finals; a 10-part obstacle course known as “King of the Hill.”
As spectators, fans, and family members stood by cheering in anticipation, the competitors faced off grinding through:
Police claimed the victory after 25 and a half grueling minutes, with Fire finishing second at 27 minutes. Congratulations to Austin Lafollette and Alan Jensen and the Henrico Police Division for capturing their first win!
You can find the Public Safety Games plaque in the lobby of the Henrico Training Center along with the names and divisions of those who have won the title in the past. (The Division of Fire in 2012, 2016 and the Sheriff’s Office 2017)
The Human Resources Fitness and Wellness Division’s vision for the Public Safety Games continues to expand each year. Here is a sneak peek at what’s to come in 2019’s competition:
Visit the Public Safety Fitness SharePoint site for more information about the Tactical Strength and Conditioning program as well as the Police and Fire CrossFit program for all sworn public safety personnel.