Town of Fairfield News
12/16/2020 - 12.16 STORM UPDATE
Good Morning Fairfielders,
As you are likely aware, our region is expecting some significant snow tonight into tomorrow. We anticipate 12-18 inches of snow, though the predictions show a broad range of possibilities. The storm is expected to begin around 5 PM tonight at a rate of up to 2 inches per hour. There also may be some minor coastal flooding and wind gusts that could lead to possible power outages.
Fairfield's Department of Public Works and Emergency Responders are prepared for this storm and I thank them for their service to our community to keep all of us safe. In light of the expected white out conditions and limited visibility, I urge residents to stay off the roads and to not park on the streets to allow DPW to plow safely. If you must travel, please exercise extreme caution.
Please see below for important tips, resources and information for residents.
 Are you registered to receive Emergency Alerts from the Town of Fairfield?
Text FairfieldCT to 888777 and follow the prompts to enroll or go to fairfieldct.org/alerts.
  Driving in Winter Conditions:
Slow down. It’s harder to control or stop your vehicle on a slick or snow- covered surface.
 Navigating Around Snow Plows:
Don’t crowd a snow plow or travel beside it. Snow plows travel slowly, make wide turns, stop often, overlap lanes, and exit the road frequently. However, the road behind an active snow plow is safer to drive on. If you find yourself behind a snow plow, stay behind it or use caution when passing.
 What to Do in a Winter Emergency:
If you are stopped or stalled in wintry weather, follow these safety rules:
• Stay with your car and don’t overexert yourself.
• Put bright markers on the antenna or windows and keep the interior dome light turned on.
• To avoid asphyxiation from carbon monoxide poisoning, don’t run your car for long periods of time with the windows up or in an enclosed space. If you must run your vehicle, clear the exhaust pipe of any snow and run it only sporadically — just long enough to stay warm.
 For additional Winter Driving Tips, including a vehicle safety checklist and information on tire safety, go to NHTSA.gov/winter-driving-tips
 For winter storm preparation tips, go to fairfieldct.org/winterstorm.
For contact information to the local utilities, see below: |
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| On a fun note, the Park & Recreation Department is holding a snowman contest for you and your family to enjoy the snow. Click the image below for more information. |
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Please stay safe and enjoy the snow.
Brenda L. Kupchick
Fairfield First Selectwoman |
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| EMERGENCY ALERTS | WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
Get alerted about emergencies and other important community news from the Town of Fairfield, CT, by signing up for the Fairfield Alert system. This system enables us to quickly provide you with critical information in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons, evacuations of buildings or neighborhoods and other emergency situations.
You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify, such as your home, mobile or business phones, email address, text messages and more. You pick where, you pick how!
If you were previously registered with us on the CodeRed system, you must sign-up again by following the instructions below, in order to continue receiving Emergency and Community alerts from the Town of Fairfield.
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SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS:
Follow the various social media accounts for Town departments to see relevant information for you and your family.
FACEBOOK:
Town of Fairfield: @FairfieldCT
First Selectwoman: @BKupchick
Park & Recreation: @FfldRec
Health Department: @FairfieldHD
Police Department: @FPDCT
Fire Department: @FFDCT
Fairfield Public Schools: @FairfieldPublicSchoolsCT
Bigelow Center for Senior Activities @BigelowCenter
Fairfield Animal Control: @FairfieldAnimalControl
Tax Collector: @FairfieldCTTax
Experience Fairfield: @ExperienceFairfield
INSTAGRAM:
Town of Fairfield: @Fairfield_Connecticut
First Selectwoman: @BKupchick
Park & Recreation: @Fairfield_Recreation
Health Department: @FairfieldHealth
Police Department: @FPDCT
Fairfield Animal Control: @Fairfield_Animal_Control
Fire Department: @Fairfield_Fire_Department
Tax Collector: @FairfieldCTTax
TWITTER:
Town of Fairfield: @FSelectwoman
Health Department: @FairfieldHD
Police Department: @FPDCT
Fire Department: @FDFairfield
Fairfield Superintendent: @FairfieldSuper
Bigelow Center for Senior Activities: @BigelowCenter
Tax Collector: @FairfieldCTTax |
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FEELING IN CRISIS?
When you're feeling overwhelmed, know that there are free options to help you talk through your crisis--and to send help when necessary. Fairfield Social Services is here to help. Call 203-256-3170 for more information.
Being a parent or caregiver during COVID can be extremely stressful. It is perfectly normal to be experiencing varying emotions and feel overwhelmed. No matter what you're feeling, we're here to listen. Parents and caregivers can call the toll-free Talk It Out line to discuss their feelings in a judgement-free environment. Call: 1-833-258-5011 or Visit: www.talkitoutct.com
Resources for Mental Health:
If you or a loved one is struggling:
- CT Information Hotline 211 or go to www.211ct.org for mobile crisis support for individuals and/or children.
- The Hub CT is Southwest Connecticut’s Regional Behavioral Health Action Organization. Check their website for useful resources for mental health, prevention and wellness. https://www.thehubct.org/
- Mental Health Crisis Text Line - Text “SHARE” to 741741
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255)
- Kids in Crisis also has a 24-hour hotline for assistance 203-661-1911.
- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health):If you need to talk to someone, text NAMI to 741741 or call the NAMI Helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).
- Alcoholics Anonymous - Please contact your site to see if meetings are continuing in your neighborhood.
- Bridgeport Hospital’s REACH Program is an intensive outpatient program (IOP) for children, adolescents, adults and seniors. REACH is accessible to anyone, and covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most commercial insurance programs. Please click this link to learn more about the extensive range of treatment options available |
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APPLY FOR ENERGY ASSISTANCE 
The Connecticut Energy Assistance Program is for families in need of energy assistance, Fairfield Social Services coordinates with Alliance For Community Empowerment to help to obtain necessary energy services for Fairfield residents in need. To make an appointment to see if you’re eligible, or if you have questions, please call Social Services 203-256-3170. |
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| FAIRFIELD PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT |
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What’s your story? What’s your reason?
DO YOUR PART...Wear a mask!
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| Download the video here so you can upload it to social media to continue to remind our residents that part of our civic responsibility to each other is to wear a mask. |
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FAIRFIELD BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE: 
The Town of Fairfield Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee has been working to encourage walking and biking for transportation, recreation, exercise and quality of life.
Working with multiple town departments we have established bicycle routes, installed bicycle repair stations, worked to improve pedestrian infrastructure, and authored the Town of Fairfield Complete Streets Policy (approved by the Board of Selectman in 2018).
With more and more of our citizens using our roads, we would like to provide you with some important safety reminders for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. View the document here. |
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TOWN GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
Sullivan Independence Hall and Old Town Hall are open to the public by appointment only for the safety of employees and residents. Please visit this summary page for an overview and follow links to specific departments for more information. |
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BIGELOW CENTER
Transportation services are running on a limited basis for medical appointments and grocery shopping. Reservations for rides are first-come, first-served for shopping and medical appointments and must be made no less than one week in advance. Please call the senior center for more information: 203-256-3166.
The buses may only transport four riders per trip. For those who do not live in Senior and Disabled Housing, Fairfield Senior Transportation will provide rides Tuesdays or Thursdays each week. Masks must be worn to board the buses. Rides are now available to medical appointments for Fairfield’s seniors and people with disabilities on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between the hours of 9:30 – 3:00 PM.
If you or anyone you know are homebound and unable to shop, the Mobile Food Pantry is available every other week and lunches are available for those who are homebound. Please call Social Services for more information: 203-256-3170. |
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COVID-19 TESTING
Testing capacity has increased in our area. To view locations where to get tested, please visit fairfieldct.org/covid19testing.
Contact Tracing
One of the key tools we have to contain the spread of COVID-19 is Contact Tracing. For this initiative to be successful, the Health Department needs the cooperation of residents who test positive for COVID-19. Both Universities were trained and assisted by our Health Department to manage their own contact tracing for their respective campuses.
The primary purpose of contact tracing is to identify and notify direct contacts of confirmed cases as quickly as possible and to ensure those exposed are self-quarantining. The information provided in the interviews with confirmed cases helps reduce the potential spread of the virus in our community.
Any Fairfield resident who tests positive for COVID-19 and has not received a phone call from the Fairfield Health Department or the Connecticut COVID Tracing system within 24 hours of receiving their result is urged to contact the Fairfield Health Department at 203-256-3022. Calls received after hours or on weekends, will be returned by the next business day. |
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OPERATION HOPE FOOD PANTRY
Operation Hope wants to make sure residents of Fairfield are aware that the food pantry remains open and is ready to help by providing food and other basic needs to community residents, as they have for nearly 35 years.
Hours of Operation: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 10:00-12:00; Thursday from 4:00 -6:00. Visit operationhopect.org. |
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Important COVID-19 Links:
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Contact Information:
For general questions you can call 211
Hartford HealthCare’s COVID-19 Clinical Command Center hotline, staffed by healthcare professionals, is now available to the community. To reach the 24-hour hotline, call 860.972.8100 or (toll-free) 833.621.0600.
YNHH has a call center number it’s 1-833-ASK YNHH that’s open from 7am - 7pm.
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