Hi Team Carlsbad –
Hope you had a great weekend! This week’s update highlights so many unique ways we continue to serve the community and each other. But before we get to the kudos, I want to reiterate how important it is for us to stop, look and think every time we get an email, text or phone call, asking us to click on something or take immediate action.
Cybersecurity warning
Last week, IT shared the latest ransomware attack on a city, this time in Dallas. Employees were tipped off when printers on the city’s network spontaneously began printing out ransom notes!
How’d they get in? It’s believed to have been the result of emails sent to city employees referring to a problem with a package delivery or overdue invoice. With these kinds of “phishing” attacks, when the employee clicks on the link, the system is breached.
What you can do to prevent cyberattacks
As part of our city’s robust cybersecurity program, all city employees must complete annual training. The deadline for this year’s training is June 30, but given the threat level out there, please complete it sooner. One wrong click, and we might be the next Dallas. Let’s not let that happen! Stop, look and think before clicking on any link.
The online training has two parts and will take about an hour to complete.
Access your trainings here:
Thank you for doing your part to keep Carlsbad’s systems safe from cyberattacks.
Spreading Safety on Bike to School Day
Communication & Engagement, Fire, and Police were out at Jefferson Elementary last week for National Bike to School Day.
As students and parents got to school, they shared traffic safety tips, gave helmets to kids that needed one, and our partners at the County Bike Coalition did helmet safety checks. We also got some good coverage in the local media, so wanted to share one of the stories showing how we are getting that traffic safety message out there.
Education is one of the three pillars of our Safer Streets Together efforts, so thank you for helping spread the word on the importance of slowing down and sharing the road.
Seeing green, a little faster
Speaking of our roads, we’re always looking for ways to improve traffic flow and make everyone’s commute more efficient.
That’s what Senior Engineer Nestor Mangohig recently did when a community member reached out with concerns about waiting at a red traffic light when there was no one around.
Nestor investigated the timing and adjusted the lights so that they cycle through faster. That’s helping the community member and others get to work a bit sooner, without disrupting other traffic.
Thank you to Nestor for your quick work to help make our traffic lights more efficient.
Kudos for professional growth
Congratulations to Giovanni Herrera in Utilities for earning a higher certification in Water Distribution Operations from the State Water Resources Control Board.
As the Water Resources Board puts it, water is a precious resource in California and maintaining its quality is of utmost importance to safeguard the health of the public and the environment.
Thank you, Giovanni, for following through on this commitment for our community.
Language lessons, games, dancing and food!
Last week, Team Carlsbad came together to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
At a festival at the Faraday Center, attendees got to learn from our very own city staff about different languages, were treated to a traditional Filipino dance demonstration, and took part in a cultural quiz and card games, to name a few activities. They also enjoyed snacks and desserts from countries across Asia.
Thank you to our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee and the family of city employees who worked so hard to make this special event happen and share it with our broader Team Carlsbad community.
Keep it up
I really do enjoy highlighting all your unique skillsets and am thankful you’re a part of Team Carlsbad.
Let’s continue to celebrate our successes, big and small, as we carry out our mission to serve all who live, work and play in our great city.
Please continue to stay safe, be kind to one another, and I’ll be back next week with more citywide updates and kudos!
-Scott