Health, Safety and Security

25 Feb Health, Safety and Security

FHA HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT) PLANNING

COMMUNITY WATCH INFORMATION

ROAD SAFETY / STREETS & ROADS INFORMATION

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

SAFETY SUGGESTIONS

FHA HEALTH, SAFETY, & SECURITY (HSS)

The HSS Mission:  As stated in the Fearrington Homeowners Association (FHA) Articles of Incorporation, one of the important purposes of the FHA is to “provide for the health, safety and welfare” of the residents of Fearrington Village. As part of this important mission, and to be in compliance with the Articles, the FHA works hard to sustain a comprehensive resident-based Health, Safety, and Security Committee (HSS) to advise the Board of Directors on policies, programs, and services that will help to keep village residents healthy and safe. In addition to its communication with Fearrington residents, the HSS Committee maintains collaborative relationships with the Chatham County Emergency Management Division and 911, Emergency Medical Services (EMS/FirstHealth), the Chatham County North Chatham Fire Department, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

READ & PRINT THIS CURRENT 2022 IMPORTANT FEARRINGTON VILLAGE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FAQ FILE.

PRINT & READ THESE ADDITIONAL FEARRINGTON VILLAGE SAFETY INFORMATION PDF FILES.

The FHA Health, Safety, & Security program consists of the following four components managed by Warren Ort, the 2021-2022 FHA Board member overseeing Health, Safety, & Security matters.

• • Emergency Preparedness maintains and promotes vital information related to emergency preparedness and individual/community/and County level emergency response.
  • Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Planning NOTE: This Health, Safety, and Security component is currently being revived and restructured. Check the hot-linked page to see the historical context.
  • Community Watch Information seeks to ensure that neighbors in Fearrington look out for one another and their property. In addition to its communication with Fearrington organizations, the committee maintains collaborative relationships with the Swim & Croquet Board, Fitch Creations, and the Chatham County Sheriff Department.
  • Road Safety seeks to increase safety on all streets and roads in Fearrington Village for pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists. In order to carry out this mission, the FHA works to raise and maintain awareness of the NCDOT-mandated village-wide 25 MPH speed limit and stop signs. FHA also operates a radar speed monitoring system and receives information from citizens regarding threats to safety on streets, roads, and paths.
  • If you wish to read the FHA’s entire unabridged (eleven-page) report on Roads and Road Safety Issues in Fearrington Village, CLICK HERE. Note that the FHA does not own or maintain any roads in the village.
    

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• • COMMUNITY WATCH INFORMATION

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  -> CLICK   THIS   BOX   FOR   External   REGIONAL  E M E R G E N C Y    CONTACT   INFORMATION <-

External contacts include regional hospital emergency rooms, urgent care centers, poison control center, animal control authority, reporting gas leaks/power outages, etc.

This page is a repository for information, recent announcements, and occasional bulletins related to the Fearrington Village Community Watch Program.

VISIT OUR SECTION ON BEING SAFE ON-LINE.

ON-GOING ALERT: BE AWARE — Door to Door Solicitation — Protect Yourself:  A Health, Safety, and Security Committee & Community Watch Advisory
From FEMA — Why It’s Important to Reinforce Overhead Garage Doors to protect your roof from severe windstorms, and how it can be done.Backgrounder on Preparing for a Tornado
Be sure to complete and turn in the (voluntary) FHA Emergency Information Registration Form (hot-linked just below). This information is a vital resource in case of an emergency.

• Voluntary Emergency Information Registration (Used to register the needs and capabilities of residents during emergency conditions. Fill in Online.)
• Voluntary Emergency Information Registration (Used to register the needs and capabilities of residents during emergency conditions. Print and fill in by hand.)

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The Fearrington Village Home Owners Association (FHA) currently has many of the components of a modern safe community program already in effect and is now beginning the process of updating, reorganizing, and, in some instances, adding to those components to create a more unified and improved program to further improve the quality of life in the community. The FHA continues to enjoy a close working relationship with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department, whose officers continue to contribute much time, professional knowledge, and advice in all the planning and implementation of many facets of ensuring the health, safety, and security of our community. We deeply appreciate this excellent partnership.

ROAD SAFETY / STREETS & ROADS INFORMATION

RESOURCES:

If you wish to read the FHA’s entire unabridged (eleven-page) report on Roads and Road Safety Issues in Fearrington Village, CLICK HERE. 

ROAD SAFETY REMINDER: 4-WAY STOP AT WEATHERSFIELD & EAST CAMDEN

Following a 2013 review by the NC Highway Department, the intersection at Weathersfield and East Camden returned to being a 4-Way stop (All Stop) intersection staring in November 2013.
Remember: STOP DOES NOT EQUAL YIELD. Old habits are sometimes not easy to break, so remember everyone must stop regardless of which direction they are coming from as they approach this intersection. This change was made because there have been quite a few close calls at that location as well as some actual accidents. This new traffic regulation ought to make this a much safer intersection as well as help to slow down the many who wiz by on Weathersfield at well over a safe speed.

SPEED MONITORS TO INCREASE THE SAFETY ON ALL STREETS AND ROADS IN FEARRINGTON VILLAGE FOR DRIVERS, PEDESTRIANS, AND CYCLISTS.

New Solar Powered Monitor Deployed on Weathersfield

We have two speed monitoring devices to help remind drivers of their current speed. We want to maintain a safe environment for all of us. Our purpose is to make all motorists aware of our village-wide 25 mph speed limit, which is set by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

Eight different stations are in the most heavily traveled areas of the Village (in both directions on Beechmast, Millcroft Road, Villageway, and Weathersfield). The speed monitors are moved from station to station by dedicated volunteers. This variety allows for more effective coverage and helps remind more drivers of their speed.

The newer unit is greatly improved in terms of technology based on long-lasting solar battery life. It conveys data (including photos of speeding vehicles) immediately to an on-line traffic monitoring site that can analyze the information and present it in a useable form to the committee and FHA board. We will share information from the monitors in future articles.

The committee has also worked with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department and NCDOT to occasionally bring a mobile Speed Sentry radar unit to the Village. We had the support of the FHA and RB Fitch to make this happen and are proud to have achieved this milestone. Fearrington Village is the only community in NC that has legal permission from the NCDOT for placement and use of this mobile radar unit.

ICE AND SNOW STORMS:  STATE VS. SERVICE GROUP RESPONSIBILITY FOR ROADWAY MAINTENANCE

The snow storm in January 2000 was described as the worst in 100 years, and the ice storm December 2002 was the worst ever. The effects of the ice and snow we experienced for much of the week of February 17 and 22, 2015 reminded us of the challenges we can face on our 80 streets and roads in the village. Since repeats are possible any time, some precautions are always appropriate:

• • In most instances, residents should plan on having limited driving conditions and possibly slippery walking conditions for 12 – 48 hours following relatively rare instances of heavy snow and/or ice; street and road conditions typically improve quickly within that time frame. For emergency medical transportation in such weather, contact 911.

• • The State of North Carolina owns 50 (61%) of the 82 streets and roads in the village. Recognize that only NCDOT and/or its duly authorized, suitably equipped contractors are allowed to plow, treat, or otherwise maintain any state secondary roads in Fearrington Village. The state must give priority to clearing main highways first, so patience may be necessary for NCDOT to get to the state secondary roads in the village as well as all across North Carolina. See this table for a list of the state-owned, state-maintained secondary roads in the village. State roads are shade in ROSE colored-fill background; service group owned roads are shaded with a light gray colored-fill background color. Note that the FHA does not own or maintain any roads in the village.During the three successive February 2015 ice and snow storms, NCDOT began to plow and treat our state roads within a day-and-half to two days following the end of each of the storms. Considering the 909 miles of hard paved roads they must cover just in District 8 (our district), their attention to our roads was quick and was very appreciated.
  • Small neighborhood HOAs (service groups) are responsible for maintaining their own streets and are, therefore, responsible for any winter storm clearing or treatment they may feel is necessary or advisable. Six service groups own 32 (39%) of the streets and roads in the village. See this table for a list of roadways owned and maintained by the service groups. Note that the FHA does not own or maintain any roads in the village.

WALKERS:

Always walk on the sidewalk if provided. If there is no sidewalk and you have to walk in the road, PLEASE WALK FACING TRAFFIC, so you can see oncoming cars. Walkers MUST step to the side when an oncoming car approaches. Dress to be seen. Brightly colored clothing makes it easier for drivers to see you during the daytime. At night, you should wear clothing with material which reflects off the headlights of cars coming towards you. Carry a lighted flashlight.

CROSSING THE STREET:

Cross only at corners or marked crosswalks. If there are none, always stop and look left, then right, then left again, before you step into the roadway.
Keep looking for cars while you are crossing.
Never cross between parked cars.
Encourage your children and grandchildren to follow the safety tips for safe street crossing.

SAFE CYCLING:

Be visible, wear fluorescent green, yellow or orange. They are all excellent choices. Other bikers, motorists and pedestrians will be able to see you better.
Always ride your bicycle with the flow of traffic.
If you must ride your bicycle at night, wear reflective clothing and have front and rear lights on.
Wear an approved helmet. Make sure that children wear their helmets.
Always wear shoes when riding a bicycle.
Bad road surfaces and potholes can cause accidents. Watch out for them.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

The important point to remember here is that whenever anyone’s safety, health or home appears to be in immediate danger, you should immediately call 911. If you should ever have trouble getting through on 911 because of phone problems, try calling 919-542-2811.

In the rare event of an emergency in Fearrington Village or the surrounding community we strongly advise residents to take the responsibility of being prepared so that they and their families can handle such emergencies in the best way possible. Use this guide to help you be prepared.

Important Resources:

• Chatham County: 297 West Street, Pittsboro, NC, 919-542-2811, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday OR http://www.chathamnc.org/ choose: “Resident Information,” then choose “Emergency Contact Guide.”
• North Carolina Department of Public Safety – ReadyNC: http://readync.org/EN/index.html: Plan. Prepare. Stay Informed. On that site, you can download their free mobile app, which supplies up-to-date information during declared major emergencies.
• FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) North Carolina Disaster Declarations, preparations and assistance before, during, and after a declared disaster: https://www.fema.gov/states/north-carolina.

Be Prepared

For related information, see the FHA “FORMS” and Health, Safety, & Security web pages menu tabs on the FHA web site home page. Here are some guidelines and a list of things to do and items to have on hand for emergencies:

1. Create an emergency plan.
2. Keep emergency supplies on hand and in a place that can be easily found.
3. Keep informed.

Create an Emergency Plan

• Evaluate your personal needs and make an emergency plan so you can be better prepared for any situation.
• If family members are not together, determine a communication point and phone number contact where all can gather or call. It is also good to have an out-of-state contact phone number.
• Be sure all family members know where emergency supplies, papers, food and water are kept.
• Get an emergency supply kit.
• Plan in advance for shelter alternatives. Consider loved ones or friends outside of your immediate area who would be willing to host you and your pets in an emergency. If you must evacuate, take your pets with you, if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, it is important to understand that animals may not be allowed inside. Only service animals may be allowed, e.g., a seeing-eye dog.
• Be alert to the Chatham County “Code Red” phone call notification system and be sure your phone number is registered. To verify registration, call 919-545-8163 or access the site at: www.chathamnc.org/codered. Also, download the CODERed Mobile Alert app for your smartphone. In an emergency, the county will send an automatic telephone message to all residents who have their phone numbers registered. It is desirable to include both your land line and cell numbers.
• Be sure your “FHA Voluntary Emergency Contact Information Registration Form” located in your welcome packet (and also available at the FHA Office) is on file with the FHA.
• We strongly encourage you to provide this information on-line using this secure encrypted form, https://form.jotform.com/FHAHSS/voluntary-emergency-info-form, which will allow residents to easily update their own information anytime, especially on an annual cycle. This will help keep the information up-to-date.
• If you filed a paper version, check and also update your information by calling or stopping in at the FHA Hospitality and Service Center in the rear of the Gathering Place (open Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., except holidays). Phone number: 919-542-1603.

Supplies To Have On Hand

(Be sure these can be easily found.)

• Regional smartphone weather alert apps for Apple or Android operating systems (offered free by WRAL-TV, WNCN-TV, ABC11 WTVD, The Weather Channel, etc.
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries.
• Flashlights, matches (kept dry), extra batteries, and extra flashlight bulbs. Better yet use flashlights that require no batteries. Candles can be dangerous.
• Fire Extinguisher – Class A-B-C.
• Water: one gallon of water per person per day for three days for drinking and sanitation. Have reserve water on hand.
• Prescriptions, over the counter medications, eye glasses (extra pair), and contact lenses.
• Food (3-day supply of non perishable food is recommended plus a reserve); manual can opener.
• Paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels.
• First Aid Kit – See contents in section below.
• Telephone – Hard wired and cell phone.
• Whistle to signal for help.
• Blankets or sleeping bags and pillows.
• Moist towelettes.
• Portable generator if you require electricity for medical equipment.
• Pet food, water for your pet and pet supplies.
• Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation.
• Phone numbers and email addresses of key relatives and friends; pencil and paper.
• FHA Handbook and Directory (for phone numbers).
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification, and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container.
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air.
• Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place.
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, however your utility company will have to turn back on.
• Water containers and buckets.
• Cash or traveler’s checks and change.
• Local maps.
• Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants, and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you expect to be in cold weather.
• Keep your automobile gas tank as full as possible.

First Aid Kit

• Two pairs of latex, or other sterile gloves (if you are allergic to latex).
• Sterile dressings to stop bleeding.
• Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes to disinfect.
• Antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.
• Burn ointment to prevent infection.
• Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes.
• Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as general decontaminant.
• Thermometer.
• Prescription medications you take every day such as insulin, heart medicine and asthma inhalers. You should periodically rotate medicines to account for expiration dates.
• Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies.
• Scissors and tweezers.
• Tube of petroleum jelly, aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever, anti-diarrhea medication, antacid.
• Plain household chlorine bleach (no scent or color) and medicine dropper. (Disinfectant plus nine parts water to one part bleach; cleaner water = 16 drops bleach to one gallon of water.)

Keep Informed

Learn more about the potential emergencies that could happen where you live. In addition, learn about the established emergency plans by your state and local government.

SAFETY SUGGESTIONS

We are blessed to be living in a beautiful, pleasant, and generally safe community. Our safety will be improved, however, if we all observe a few common-sense practices and courtesies.

Note: Abbreviated bit.ly links are provided below because they are shorter than the full links, and thus easier to type accurately.

To Report Emergencies (Police, Fire, Medical)

Emergency Services Police, fire, and ambulance services can all be reached by calling 911. Response has been prompt.

Driving

Observe the 25 MPH speed limit on all Fearrington streets and the 15 MPH speed limit in the Village Center. Speeders rob us of our tranquility and pose a real safety threat. Stop signs mean a full stop, even when other vehicles are not present.

Walking

Instead of the streets, use the walkway paths and trails where they are available. When walking on the streets, observe the elementary safety rule: North Carolina law requires that you walk along the edge and off the roadway as far as possible on the LEFT side, facing oncoming traffic and step off the roadway whenever a vehicle approaches. If you are approaching the crest of a steep hill or a blind curve to the left, and you cannot be seen by oncoming traffic (a common experience, e.g., on Spindlewood), you may be safer walking briefly on the right until you can see oncoming traffic again and then carefully return to walk on the left when it is safe to do so.

Drivers are required to SLOW DOWN and give walkers a break—here in this village, the ground on the side of these roadways is often narrow, rough, and uneven and can be unsafe surfaces on which to walk.

House Numbers

Make sure yours is visible from the street, day and night, so an emergency vehicle can quickly spot it. Make sure a plant or  shrubbery does not cover it. Contrasting colors are best (e.g., black on white is more visible than brass on yellow or gray on gray.)

Ice and Snowstorms

The snowstorm in January 2000 was described as the worst in 100 years, and the ice storm December 2002 was the worst ever. Since repeats are possible any time, some precautions are appropriate:

• Keep a bucket of sand and a bag of rock salt on hand to treat your front steps and walk.
• Neither the state nor Fitch Creations nor FHA is responsible for clearing or treating Fearrington roads. The state gives priority to clearing main highways, so patience may be necessary for state secondary roads in the village. Small neighborhood HOAs (service groups) are responsible for maintaining their own streets and are responsible for any winter storm clearing or treatment they may feel is necessary or advisable. In most instances, residents should plan on limited driving conditions and possibly slippery walking conditions for 12 – 48 hours following relatively rare instances of heavy snow and/or ice; conditions typically improve quickly within that time. For emergency medical transportation in such weather, contact 911.

Fallen Trees

If a tree has fallen on a power line, DO NOT TOUCH; call 911. If it has fallen in the street, and your friends and neighbors can’t handle it, call 911 to schedule a state road crew. If a tree has fallen on your property, you must arrange removal with a private contractor.

Burning Brush

Open fires in the village are always prohibited.

Dead Animals

Removal of a dead animal from your property is your responsibility.  For removal of other animals or for other contractors, consult the Chatham County phone book under the listing, “Animal Removal Service.” Dead animals on a state road right-of-way (such as most of the roads in the village) will be removed by the NC Department of Transportation. Use this NCDOT Contact Form: (https://bit.ly/3dod1jd)fill out the form and submit it.

Hiring Domestic Help

When hiring someone to do services in your home:

• Check their references.
• Ask if they are covered by insurance, and ask for proof of coverage.
• Ask if they are bonded, and ask for proof of coverage.
• Resource: Reviews and comparisons of professional background check services, (https://bit.ly/3EuvmqD) *
• Resource (fee based): Intelius.com

To check for past violations:

• N.C. • N.C. Health Care Personnel Registry System (requires employee’s social security number) https://bit.ly/3lHJcyC
• N.C. Department of Public Safety: Offender Public Information/Offender Search: (https://bit.ly/3DBkxSw)