What's the latest in Sterling Heights? 👀

FRIDAY, DEC. 10, 2021

LATEST CITY NEWS & UPDATES

On Dec. 7, the Sterling Heights Fire Department cut the ribbon on a new Dräger burn chamber located next to the existing training tower at Fire Station #5. The new unit is designed to teach firefighters to recognize extreme fire behavior and techniques they can use to prevent, manage or safely withdraw from a flashover situation.

“Today’s room furnishings are constructed with more plastic composite material than the traditional wood and cotton we saw in the past,” said Sterling Heights Fire Chief Kevin Edmond. “These changes now cause basic room fires to increase in size and intensity very quickly. This rapid growth causes flashover, which is where the entire space is heated to the point that everything in the room catches fire at once. Considering this trend, we need to be sure our firefighters are trained in practical ways to prevent flashover and how to get out safely if it happens.”

The prefabricated Dräger burn chamber will keep Sterling Heights Fire Department training compliant with current National Fire Protection Association 1402 and 1403 training standards for conducting safe live fire training.

Fire Department instructors will undergo two eight-hour days of instruction on:

Operation and maintenance of the unit
Container operations
General safety during container drills
Fire behavior
Fire control
Management of personnel related to hydration and heat stress during training
Smoke and ventilation exercises
Thermal imaging camera use
Recognition of per-flashover and backdraft conditions
Nozzle techniques

“One of our key attributes in Sterling Heights is that we are a safe city. This new training unit will help keep Sterling Heights firefighters among the best in the nation,” said Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor. “Our goal is to work with the public to help prevent fires, but when they do occur, we want to make sure everyone involved emerges safe and sound – both our residents and our dedicated firefighters. This unit helps us achieve that goal.”

We want to make sure you stay informed on the latest news and info in Sterling Heights -- including when the City declares a "Snow Emergency." With the winter season upon us, we will communicate snow emergencies to notify residents to clear the streets and allow plows to navigate subdivision streets unobstructed.

We will communicate via:

Press release to local media
SHTV crawl (5, 10, 99)
Website - home page emergency alert bar, press release, snow plowing procedures and maps (sterling-heights.net/snow)
Email and text alerts for those subscribed
Social media - Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
SeeClickFix notification

New this year:

We have subscribed anyone who received a violation last year and paid online to email notifications so they’ll now receive the emergency snow alerts.

We are doing more public outreach to increase those subscribed to email and/or text alerts:

Residents can sing up for alerts here: sterling-heights.net/notifyme
Sign-up link added to winter magazine on page 4
Sign-up link added to City News email
Sign-up link added to Social media posts
Website home page banner will be added with directed link

More Info

Did you know more than 3,000 children in Michigan are waiting for permanent, loving homes to call their own each year? Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation helped spread awareness by hosting the Michigan Heart Gallery in the Sterling Heights Community Center lobby.

The traveling photographic exhibit features photos of 140 youth currently in the foster care system waiting for their forever family.

We hope to encourage others to learn about adoption, to hold adoption related events, and to acknowledge the people in this country whose lives have been impacted by adoption.

The mission is to celebrate the families who have grown through adoption, and to recognize the many children who are still waiting for forever families.

Visit miheart.org to view the online gallery, and learn more at mare.org .

More Info

The Sterling Heights Beautification Commission invites you to show off your fa-la-la-fantastic holiday decorations this season for a chance to win bragging rights on social media and a gift card!

Submit a photo of your festively decorated home by email at cityhall@sterling-heights.net.

Please include the house address with submission.

Deadline to submit is Monday, Dec. 27.

The Beautification Commission will vote on the top three decorated homes, and winners will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 4. Don’t miss your chance to sleigh the competition!

Sterling Heights Public Library: Check Us Out 2

The Used, But Sterling Bookstore is open an extra day for all your gift shopping needs!

Join us Saturday, Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sterling Heights Public Library.

Back by popular demand… it’s time for our Great Holiday Lights Scavenger Hunt!

Drive around and enjoy the neighborhood holiday lights and decorations, but let’s make things a little bit more interesting this year – with a chance to win a prize!

Take photos of the following 20 items for a chance to be entered to win a My Pizza Place gift card!

Candy Canes (set of 2)
“Seasons Greetings” sign
Pink Pig
Frosty the Snowman
The Grinch
A Toy Soldier
Mrs. Claus
North Pole Sign
Inflatable Reindeer
Minnie Mouse
Inflatable Minion
Gingerbread Man
Elf
Stack of Presents (3 boxes high)
Unicorn
An Angel
Red Wreath
Character from Toy Story
Penguin
Engine

Contest rules: Photos MUST be of outdoor holiday displays, participants MUST be a resident of Sterling Heights.

Once you gather ALL your photos, email them to bwilson@sterling-heights.net.

Photos MUST be submitted by Wednesday, December 15 by 5 p.m. All qualifying entries will be entered in a drawing for the chance to win a gift card.

Winners will be notified by Friday, December 17, 2020.

Submit Entry

The Halo will be lit blue and yellow through Sunday, Dec. 12 in remembrance of the young men and women from Oxford High School who recently lost their lives.

The city of Sterling Heights offers our heartfelt condolences to those affected by this tragic event, and we hope each new day brings you strength and healing for your entire community.

Interested in joining our team? The city of Sterling Heights is always looking for top talent to join our exceptional workforce. You can start by searching our current openings within our job portal.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer offering full-time, part-time and seasonal employment and contractual services, offering competitive salary and benefit packages including Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Life Insurance, Employee Assistance Provider, Defined Contribution Pension, Deferred Compensation, Flexible Spending Accounts, paid time off, Compensatory Time, Paid Holidays and much more!