PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

Fire department open house planned today

Residents can get a peek into the inner workings of the Costa Mesa

Fire Department when the agency hosts its annual open house today.

The event, which commemorates the 1999 Fire Prevention Week, will have

various information booths and displays for guests to explore. Those who

attend also will be able to take a tour of the department’s station and

the communications center where 911 calls are handled.

Fire Department officials say they hold the annual event to show

residents the various aspects of their duties.

The open house will last from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Civic Center

Fire Station at 2450 Vanguard Way. The building is adjacent to city

government buildings on Fair Drive.

Tire collection set next weekend

The city of Costa Mesa and the Sanitary District will be collecting

tires next weekend that will be recycled into new products.

Old and discarded tires can be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Oct. 16 at the city’s Corporation Yard at 2300 Placentia Avenue, across

the street from Estancia High School. The tires will be accepted free of

charge.

In order for the tires to be accepted, people must remove them from

the rims and will be limited to a maximum of four tires.

Last year, 159 tires were collected, and city officials hope they can

surpass that mark this time. Old tires can be used for important projects

such as the rubberized asphalt on Harbor Boulevard.

The program is made possible through grant funding from the state’s

Integrated Waste Management Board and the Orange County Conservation

Corps.

For more information, call (714) 754-5043.