Community Safety Tips & Useful Resources

heat
October 20, 2022
I hope that you have enjoyed these Fall days, as the leaves change colors and we start to have to rake them up and we start to turn on the heat. Speaking of heat, below is information on:

You can click on any of the links above to jump to that section of the email. I hope that you find these resources helpful.
 
Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety
October is National Pedestrian Safety Month. While we recently passed a number of strong policies that focused on pedestrian safety and pedestrian friendly transportation, recent reports have shown that nationally, pedestrian fatalities are increasing more than any other type of traffic fatality.

Since 2009 the number of pedestrian deaths increased by 53%, while all other traffic fatalities increased by only 2%. In Connecticut, over the past five years the state has averaged about 58 pedestrian fatalities annually.

What We’ve Done to Address it:
  • Last year we passed a pedestrian safety bill that created a statewide Vision Zero Council, a group that has been working diligently to create policy solutions to stop these pedestrian deaths
  • Secured $3.75 million in State Bond Funds for roadway and pedestrian safety in Fairfield
    • $1.75 Million: Bike and pedestrian safety improvements on Route 130 between Shoreham Village Road and the Post Road Circle
    • $2 Million: Pedestrian safety and ADA improvements to the intersections at Churchill Road and Wilson Street, and Route 59 and Churchill Road in Stratfield
  • Secured $500,000 in infrastructure grants for Fairfield Sidewalks

What We Need to Do:

  • Continue to work across branches of government with our neighbors and neighborhoods to ensure continued safety throughout the community. Kudos to all who continue to reach out to both local elected leaders and the state delegation to identify problem areas and propose solutions

Safety Tips and Resources:

  • In response to the growing number of pedestrian deaths throughout the state the CT Department of Transportation (CTDOT) posted their, Comprehensive Pedestrian Safety Strategy. You can access that document by clicking the button below
  • The Fairfield Bike and Pedestrian Committee shares a lot of important information on safety and infrastructure and how we can make our community safer for vulnerable users, especially at a time when pedestrian deaths are on the rise. I highly encourage you to subscribe to their monthly newsletter for constant safety updates. You can subscribe to their newsletter by clicking the button below, and access this months newsletter by clicking here
  • You can also check out the safety tips from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration below
CTDOT Comprehensive Pedestrian Safety Strategy
Subscribe to Safety Newsletter
 
As we recognize National Pedestrian Safety Month, I also want to share that this week, October 16 - 22 is National Teen Driver Safety Week.

This week is a great opportunity for parents and guardians to sit down with their teen drivers and discuss how even just a glance at their phone could lead to fatal consequences. We have a new driver in our own house, and we will be having a lot of these kinds of conversations.

You can learn more about how the CTDOT will bring two upcoming programs to CT schools this year by clicking the button below.
Distracted Driving Initiatives
 
Domestic Violence Awareness
October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. At this month’s Center for Family Justice Annual Vigil, I joined local law enforcement, elected leaders, parents, and students in standing in support of survivors and in memory of those who have died.

At the Vigil, the Center shared that it has seen an over 30% increase in calls for service. They want to get the word out that support and resources are available 24/7, so please utilize the contact information below if you or someone you know needs assistance:

The Center for Family Justice, Inc.
753 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, CT
  • Open: Monday through Friday, 9AM - 5PM
  • Main Number: 203-334-6154

Hotlines Open 24/7 365 Days a Year

  • Domestic Violence Crisis Calls (24/7): 888-774-2900 or click here for information on text and email communications options
  • Non-Emergency Domestic Violence Calls: 203-384-9559
  • Sexual Assault: 203-333-2233
  • Vedas (Spanish): 888-568-8332
 
Home Heating this Winter
With heating prices on the rise and as we head into the colder months, I want to strongly encourage you to get a Home Energy Audit if you have not already done so. Though there is a $50 cost, according to the folks from UI, “The average home in Connecticut receives about $1,000 in services and realizes around $200 in savings on their annual energy bills.” This is one way to reduce your home energy costs and at the same time do your part to help our environment. You can click the button below to take the home efficiency quiz for free, and/or schedule an appointment for an Energy Audit.
Home Energy Audit
 
For those who need help with the heating bills that do come in, there is funding available. Thanks to the work of our Congressional Delegation, an additional $1 Billion boost in federal funding to the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), allowing for more households to receive the benefit in the state, has been allocated as part of an emergency supplemental aid package.

This is great news for working families in our community who rely on CT's Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help pay for home heating costs.

Don't delay! The application period for the 2022-2023 winter season of the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program is NOW open. To apply, click the button below.
Apply Here

Additional ways to Apply:

Applications for the 2022-2023 winter season must be received by May 31, 2023. For more information, click here, or call 2-1-1.
 
Glass Recycling & Plastic Free July
Recycling has and will continue to change and we continue our efforts toward environmental consciousness. Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to work with Sustainable Fairfield on some of their local initiatives. I’d like to highlight three, and encourage you to participate.

Glass Recycling

When I was a child and my Mom was one of the early recyclers, we used to sort all of our recyclables. Then we went to single stream, and now we are learning the importance and value of removing glass from that single stream. Why? Glass contaminates the single stream. When recycled separately, as we can now do here in town, it can be made into a cement product and save the town money. If you are not redeeming your glass bottles, another great way to recycle, I hope you will consider bringing them and other glass to the transfer station. Please check the info-graphic below for acceptable and not acceptable products.
 
Food Waste
 
Mattress Recycling

On Saturday, October 22 from 8:30AM - 12:30PM, the Town of Fairfield is hosting a community-wide FREE mattress recycling event at Veterans Park, 909 Reef Road. This is a great way to get rid of an old mattress or box spring in a better, more environmentally friendly way.

Any mattress, no matter when it was purchased, can be brought to the event for no-cost recycling, if it is not damaged, heavily soiled or posing other health or safety risks. To learn more about what will and will NOT be accepted at the drop-off event, please click here.

*Event is open to non-fairfield residents too*
 
Fentanyl - One Pill Can Kill
At yesterday’s Fairfield CARES coalition meeting, AMR’s clinical educator, Matthew Hlavna, presented overdose data to the coalition. In 2022, we have already experiences 37 overdoses in our community. This is up from a total of 22 overdoses in 2021, when we also experienced a fatality. The vast majority of these overdoses are among 26-32 year-olds.

The Drug Enforcement Agency has shared a useful info-sheet on what every parent and caregiver needs to know about fake pills. Please also feel free to click the button below for more information on the One Pill Can Kill campaign and to learn more about fake pills.
One Pill Can Kill