On Monday April 30, 2001, the city of Sparks will launch its new Pre-Incident Plan System (PiPS) fundraising event by airing television commercials that explains the system and solicits the community's monetarysupport of the program.

PiPS is a new tool that will allow emergency first responders to take virtual tours of schools and other facilities in the case of numerous types of emergencies. Developed by Captain Jim Olsen of the Littleton, Colo. fire department subsequent to the Columbine shootings, PiPS gives emergency personnel the ability to slip a compact disk into a computer and see a floor plan of the building, as well as take a virtual walk-through.

In addition, the disk contains contact information, school hours, number of students/staff and locations of electrical, water and gas switches and valves. PiPS can be used not only in a hostage or violent act situation, but also to respond to earthquakes, hazardous material events, fires and other emergency incidents. It is also an effective planning and training tool.

Four different PiPS advertisements will be airing on KOLO (Channel 8) for at least two months. The purpose of the ads is to not only raise awareness about the PiPS project, but also to raise money to include numerous other schools in the district. The community fundraising goal is $50,000.00. This money, along with various grant monies, will allow project workers to take digital pictures of the schools, build the templates from these images and purchase laptop computers for applicable emergency first responders.

Earlier this year, Sparks was one of seven communities selected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to participate in the PiPS test pilot program. The city chose Sparks High School and Reno High School as its test schools. Templates for these two facilities are nearing completion "I think that our various emergency services would find it very useful to have information included in the Pre-Incident Plan System at their disposal," said Neil Schott, Principal at Jessie Beck Elementary School.  "In reviewing the PiPS template, I found myself thinking about parts of my school that I haven't really thought of before, in terms of risk and staff education."

The PiPS Pilot test project is being coordinated by Dee Beaugez, Sparks Project Impact Coordinator.

To make a donation in support of the PiPS project, please call Ben Hutchins, Project Impact Steering Committee Chairman at 353-1619. For more information about Project Impact, please visit our Web site at: www.disasterplans.com