Thursday, June 29, 2006

Dear Friends,

We are now less than a week away from celebrating the 230^th birthday of our great nation. As you prepare to enjoy barbecues and holiday travel, please take a moment to think about the great freedoms we enjoy as Americans, and the many men and women of our armed forces who have sacrificed for us.

As Governor, the safety of our citizens is a constant concern. Fire has already destroyed many acres of forest this summer; drinking and driving is a threat to all of us; and the Arizona Department of Health Services will remind you that the sun and heat pose a danger, as well.

To help keep you safe, remember that AZ 211 Online is available to you, 24 hours a day. It has the latest updates about fires around the state, as well as a myriad of other advice and links. You can access it by clicking on www.az211.gov.

Last week, as a part of AZ 211, we activated the state's 211 hotline call center to provide minute-by-minute information about the Brins Fire near Sedona, and the Warm Fire north of the Grand Canyon. I'm especially proud of the 211 operators who handled nearly 10,000 calls for information. It proves that during an emergency, we have an extraordinarily useful tool available to help the people of Arizona.

• Avoid fire. Cigarette butts thrown from car windows are responsible for a significant number of fire starts.
  
  
• Avoid serious accidents. Debris on roadways nationwide causes 25,000 accidents each year and more than 80 fatalities.  Between 1999 and 2001, Arizona reported 5 fatal accidents due to road debris.

• Avoid unnecessary cost. ADOT spends an average of $2.3 million per year just to remove litter from the freeway system.