CITY OF LAKELAND NEWS & EVENTS

OCTOBER 2014

SMARTER POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHTTOM WHEATLEYSUPERINTENDENT OF CEMETERIES

LAKELAND ELECTRICYOU HAVE THE POWER TO SAVE ENERGY

OCTOBER 5-11 IS NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEKTEST YOUR SMOKE ALARMS MONTHLY

FIREPREVENTION

WEEKTEST YOUR SMOKE ALARMS TODAY!

SMOKE ALARM TIPS:• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home.

• Interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.

• Test alarms each month by pushing the test button.

• Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond properly.

• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound and understands what to do when they hear the smoke alarm.

• To learn more about the “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!” campaign, visit NFPA’s website at www.firepreventionweek.org and www.lakelandgov.net/lfd

30290-I-0149

When was the last time you tested the smoke alarms in your home? Was it last week? Last month? A year ago?If you’re like many people, you may not even remember it’s something you should do. Smoke alarms have become such a common feature of U.S. households that they’re often taken for granted, and aren’t tested and maintained as they should.

Working smoke alarms are a critical fire safety tool that can mean the difference between life and death in a home fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke alarms can cut the chance of dying in a home fire in half! Research shows that home fires killed more than 2,300 people in 2012; many of these deaths could have been prevented with the proper smoke alarm protection.

The Lakeland Fire Department too often sees the devastating effects of fire first-hand; the burn injuries, the loss of homes and possessions and knows it is devastating. What’s even worse is witnessing a family’s anguish after a loved one has been killed in a fire. It’s heartbreaking and sometimes preventable with the use of a properly working smoke alarm.

Fire Prevention Week is October 5-11, 2014 and this year’s safety focus is “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month!” To help support this national effort, each year, the Lakeland Fire Department hosts fire safety events and an Open House. These events allow the citizens of Lakeland to get to know the Lakeland Fire Department,

learn about fire safety and how smoke alarms save lives. For more information, visit:

www.lakelandgov.net/lfd

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR VETERANSSaturday, November 8, 2014

The 2014 Veteran’s Day Ceremony & Parade will take place on Saturday, November 8, 2014. A memorial service for all veterans will be held at 10 a.m. in Veterans Memorial Park on the west side of The Lakeland Center facing Lake Beulah. Immediately following the ceremony the parade will kick-off from the Lakeland Center and travel through downtown Lakeland ending with a festival in Munn Park. We want the parade route lined with residents showing support for our veterans.

Gary Clark, president of the Polk County Veterans Council, which represents the many veterans organizations in Polk County, said an important part of the observance will be to honor the 70th Anniversary of D-Day.

www.lakelandelectric.com

Did you know that if you replace five incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star Compact Fluorescent light bulbs you will save 62 kWh in a month? This is a savings of about $8 on your monthly utility bill and if you replace them with LED lights the savings is even greater. Here are a few additional money saving tips:

• Washing your clothes in cold water and not using hot water also saves you $9 per month.

• Turn off lights, ceiling fans, appliances, television sets, stereos and computers when not in use and save about 58 kWh or $7 per month.

• Keep your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher during the summer months when you are at home and 85 degrees when you are away from home. In Florida, the cost to cool a home is about 50% of a typical energy bill.

A typical home uses 250-1000 kilowatt-hours for air conditioning. To be more energy efficient with air conditioning throughout your home follow these tips:

• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or as high as comfort permits.

• Close your blinds or curtains during the hottest part of the day.

• Check and clean or replace air filters every month.• Clean the outside condenser coil once per year.

Lakeland Electric offers free energy inspections conducted at your home by our very own Energy Analysts. A Lakeland Electric Energy Analyst will survey your home's insulation, duct work, water heating, cooling & heating systems to measure the overall efficiency. You'll then be provided with energy-saving recommendations and other cost-effective energy-saving measures. Call 863.834.6789 to schedule an appointment or you can take an online energy audit by going to Lakelandelectric.com and click on the “Customer” tab.

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saveENERGTHE POWER to

per 1,200 kWh usage

Lakeland Electric’s website features an eServices Portal that makes it very easy for customers to pay their bill, sign up for text notifications and monitor their energy use from any convenient location.

Signing-up for eServices is really as easy as 1, 2, 3 on lakelandelectric.com.

1. Customers will need their Lakeland Electric account number listed on their utility bill.

2. Provide the last four digits of your social security number or if the account is related to a business, then the Federal ID number.

3. Lastly, select the correct picture from the prompt and then you are ready to start discovering the eServices portal.

Customers who sign-up for eServices can review their utility bill details and pay online. They can view their current statement, previous balance and transaction history. Users can check their monthly carbon footprint and conduct business like disconnect service, transfer service to another address and for our winter visitors, they can restart their service all online.

Because of the integration with smart meters, eService users can view real time consumption (kWh and estimated dollar levels) at monthly, daily and hourly intervals. Lakeland Electric customers can also enroll in a new notification program so they can be alerted if there is an outage in the area. The notifications can be received through texts and emails and can be received on multiple devices.

Right now the customer notifications include outage messages that will let customers know that the power is out and a follow-up message when power is restored. In the very near future, customers will be able to receive messages reminding them of past-due payments. Notifications are available in either English or Spanish.

Sign-up for eServices today! The on-line tools are there to help make your life less complicated because smarter power is in your hands.

SMARTER POWERis in your hands

www.lakelandelectric.com

@mylakelandelectric

A nervous giggle or a crinkled nose are just some of the reactions Tom Wheatley gets when he tells people what he does for a living. Meet Wheatley, a 32 year employee of the City of Lakeland’s Cemetery Division.

His career with the City began as a seasonal maintenance employee. After four short months, he was promoted to a full time position. For the last 17 years he has been the Superintendent of the Cemeteries Division. As Superintendent, Wheatley is responsible for overseeing six cemeteries at two locations. These six cemeteries are the final resting place for approximately 55,000 individuals. Some of the notables that are buried in these cemeteries include Mr. George Jenkins, the founder of Publix; early pioneers and former mayors including Park Trammell who was Lakeland’s mayor from 1899-1903; James Henry Mills, believed to be the only native Polk veteran to earn the Medal of Honor; and the parents of former Governor Lawton Chiles.

Wheatley’s staff of 13 full-time employees and one part-time employee is responsible for ground, tree and road maintenance. While they do not clean the grave markers, they do raise them as they settle over time. During the summer months, two additional employees are hired to assist with maintenance duties of the grounds. When asked what he enjoys most about his job, Wheatley quickly replied “helping people”. His help comes in a variety of ways. When the time comes to purchase a plot,

Wheatley wants to ensure that his customers get the perfect one for themselves or their loved one. If you want that plot to be under a shade tree or closer to the road, Wheatley will help secure the plot that meets your needs. Another way he is able to help his customers is by locating the final resting spot of a loved one.

Wheatley was happy to report that by year’s end there will be a database that will help with this. The new database will provide a map so anyone can locate a particular grave. Wheatley was a member of the committee that named the roads that run through the cemetery on Bartow Highway.

A graduate of Lakeland High School, Wheatley recently completed the Certified Public Managers course. Married to his wife Denise for almost 34 years, they share their home with Jazz, an Australian Heeler mix. A nice evening for Wheatley would include a bowl of spaghetti from Olive Garden and a Ray’s baseball game. Though Wheatley does not get to do it often, deer hunting and fishing are two hobbies that he enjoys. If the radio is on, Rock or Country music will be playing, hopefully with some tunes by Bob Seger or Merle Haggard. “Like a good movie can be watched more than once, a good book can be read more than once.” Echo by Lee Child is currently being reread by Wheatley. Among his other favorite authors are Jack Higgins and Louis L’amour.

Thank you Tom Wheatley for the work you do for the citizens of Lakeland!

Polk County’s Only Half Marathon!

Saturday, November 8, 2014Start Times: 7AM Half Marathon | 7:15AM 5K | 8AM Fun Run

The Red Ribbon Half Marathon, 5K & Kids’ Run offers a family fun day where parents can compete in the Half Marathon or 5K, and K-8th grade students can take part in a Kids’ Fun Run, which will loop around Lake Mirror. Free registration for K-8th graders includes a commemorative Run t-shirt! Festivities also include the Red Ribbon Kick-Off Celebration Carnival on Friday, October 3, 2014, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at LEGOLAND Florida. Admission is $5.00 donation/person and tickets are limited to the first 5,000 people. The entire LEGOLAND Florida attraction will not be open that evening, but attendees may visit 4 exciting areas to enjoy fun rides and other great LEGO displays!

Please visit our official event web site at:www.redribbonhalf.com

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RedRibbonHalf

Like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/RedRibbonHalf

For Information, please call InnerAct Alliance at 863.802.0777

@mylakelandelectric

CITY OF LAKELAND EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

TOM WHEATLEYSUPERINTENDENT OF CEMETERIES

City of Lakeland employees would like to invite you to the 4th Annual Lakeland Employees Give Back Talent Showcase being held in conjunction with the Downtown Lakeland Partnership’s First Friday event on November 7th. The show, scheduled from 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. in Munn Park, is free and open to the public.

The Lakeland Employees Give Back Talent Showcase was originally created to serve as a venue for City of Lakeland employees to share their talents with the community. City of Lakeland employees are known for their charitable activities including their annual contributions to the United Way totaling over $1.1 million over the past 10 years. “City of Lakeland employees have a compassion that runs deep because they live, work and play in the community,” said City Manager Doug Thomas. “They see this event as another opportunity to give back to the community.”

Each participating act contains at least one City of Lakeland employee, a family member of an employee or a City of Lakeland retiree. Acts will be judged and winners will be selected for

both a Judge’s Choice Award and a People’s Choice Award. Attendees will have a chance to vote for their talent choice by donating $1 per ballot. All monies raised from the People’s Choice Award will be donated to the local United Way.

First Friday is one of the most popular recurring events that takes place in downtown Lakeland. Every month, on the first Friday of the month (hence the name), people from all over the community converge in Downtown Lakeland for an evening of FREE family friendly entertainment, activities, live music, art receptions, a car show, and, of course, the chance to check out a great, locally-owned restaurant or retail establishment. The City of Lakeland is proud to partner with First Friday for the Employees Give Back Talent Showcase and we hope to see you downtown on Friday, November 7th.

LAK E LAND EMP L OY E E S G I V E BACK

TA L E N T SHOWCAS ENOVEMBER 7 • 7-9PM | MUNN PARK (PART OF FIRST FRIDAY)

Guest EmceeJenniferHolloway

like \''līk\ vb: to be suitable or agreeable to. www.facebook .com/c i ty o f lake land LIKE US ON

Planting Near Padmount Transformers

Lakeland Electric crews are often seen performing maintenance on padmount transformers in the residential neighborhoods. A padmount transformer is a device that moves electricity safely from one circuit to another. It steps down the power (changes the voltage) so that it may be used in our homes and businesses. Because electricity flows through transformers, it is important to keep transformers clear of vegetation. When planting trees or other vegetation, be sure to allow the correct distance from padmount transformers. Please keep shrubs, fences and structures at least 12 feet away from the front and 3 feet away from the other sides. Lakeland Electric has the right to remove these obstructions when necessary without notice to the owner.Tips for safe planting around padmount transformers:

• Keep in mind that the transformer must be accessible for service at all times

• Select plants that are easily maintained and suitable for the site

• Allow plants sufficient growing room• Do not plant in front of the transformer

(the side with the padlock)• Do not allow plantings to grow over the

transformer• Do not change grade levels around

padmount transformers

Fire protection in Lakeland started as early as 1891 with the purchase of two dozen buckets, a few axes, and a ladder for use by bucket brigades. Today’s LFD has grown to employ 161 personnel operating seven stations and an administrative building, with a response area of approximately 81-square miles. The Department has also broadened its range of services to include heavy rescue, technical rescue, fire prevention, fire code enforcement, fire investigation, aircraft rescue and firefighting, in-house fleet maintenance, in addition to fire suppression.

Like many Fire Departments in the nation, the demand and volume of fire versus medical calls has completely shifted, and today of the nearly 20,000 service calls the Department receives annually a majority are medical in nature. On December 15, 2003, LFD moved from providing Basic Life Support (BLS) medical services to Advanced Life Support (ALS) medical services at some of its stations and completed the transition to ALS care for its entire service area by January 31, 2011. Lakeland Fire Department remains a non-transport department (which means they don’t operate an ambulance service).

Recently the department has celebrated other major accomplishments, including its contributions to providing the best Insurance Services Office Public Protection Classification rating the City of Lakeland has ever enjoyed. Today, the Lakeland Fire Department enjoys the finest equipment, highly trained and professional personnel, and the ability to provide outstanding emergency response services to the people of Lakeland. Due to the forward thinking of its leaders over a hundred years ago, it continues to fulfill its vision of being the best public safety organization providing superior customer service.

A BRIEF BIT:LAKELAND FIRE DEPARTMENT

SAVE THE DATELake Mirror

Tree LightingNOVEMBER 21

7PMFor more information

and other holiday eventsvisit:

lakelandgov.net

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:CITY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED FOR THE OBSERVANCE OF:

VETERANS DAY:NOVEMBER 11, 2014NO CHANGE TO SOLID WASTE PICKUP SCHEDULE

THANKSGIVING:NOVEMBER 27-28, 2014NO SOLID WASTE PICKUP ON NOV. 27.Collection will occur one day later for remainder of week.

Online | www.lakelandgov.net In Person | City Hall • 8AM – 5PM • Monday-Fridayfacebook.com/cityoflakelandfl | twitter.com/lakelandgov | youtube.com/cityoflakelandfl | instagram: cityoflakelandflListen Lakeland • First Sunday • FM 97.5 WPCV @ 8:30AM | FM 98.3 WWRZ @ 8AM | AM 1430 WLKF @ 8AM | AM 1230 WONN @ 9AM

Public Meetings | City Commission Meetings • First and Third Monday • 9AM | Utility Committee Meetings • First Monday • 1PMLive Broadcast on LGN | Channel 615 (Brighthouse) | Channel 43 (Verizon FiOS)

IMPORTANT NUMBERS:City Hall • 863.834.6000 Lakeland Electric Customer Service • 863.834.9535 Power or Water Outages • 863.834.4248Pollution Hotline • 863.834.3300 LPD Crime Tips Hotline • 863.834.2549 LPD (Non-Emergency) • 863.834.6900

PAYING YOUR UTILITY BILL:ONLINE | www.lakelandelectric.com BY PHONE | 863.834.9535IN PERSON | Lakeland Electric has partnered with over 50 local businesses including area AMSCOT offices to accept your utility payment.ST

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