Get Trained to Help Your Neighbors During Emergencies

Emergencies happen all the time. It's important to have training and practice needed to know how to properly respond to many different situations that may occur. 

 

At home, once you have built your kit and developed your plan you need to practice and maintain it. Train your family to manage disasters by practicing and conducting family disaster drills. This will help you know what to do during difficult times. 

 

In your communities, there are tons of really great training opportunities across the country aimed to help emergency managers, first responders, community organizers and volunteers learn more about responding to a variety of emergency situations. These programs are designed to get you the information and training you need to start doing the same in your communities. 

 

Today, we're introducing you to just a few of the many different training and volunteer opportunities found nationally to help you prepare yourself, your family and your community for many different emergency situations:

 

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.  Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.

Kicking it with Fairwood Soccer

By Coach Lloyd Anderson

The Fairwood Soccer Team played their first official game on Saturday, July 19, at the Linden Walters Foundation Tournament. Though the team lost on penalty kicks in overtime, both the coach and parents were extremely proud of them -- especially considering they were playing against a more established team.

An intra-squad scrimmage is scheduled for Saturday, July 26, at the Fairwood Park. The game will be open to all kids ages 4-12 in the community. The Fairwood Community Association encourages all residents to come out and enjoy the fun.

A New Year's Message to Fairwood Residents

By the Fairwood Community Association Executive Committee

As we celebrate the New Year, the members of the Fairwood Community Association Board of Directors and Executive Committee would like to extend to everyone our appreciation for your choosing to be part of our community.

Last year was an incredible year. Our very successful community yard sale, summer community day, National Night Out and our recent holiday event provided excellent opportunities for neighbors to come together and even have a little fun, and we look forward to even more neighbors participating next year as our community continues to grow.

We expanded channels through which we communicate and receive feedback from our residents by adding Facebook,Twitter and a Fairwood Community Blog to our toolbox.

The year also saw the addition of EarthFruits Yogurt and Jazzy's restaurant to our community, as well as establishments that provide beauty supplies and even Asian cuisine to our residents.

As we approach 2014, we have much to look forward to. Many of you may have noticed how work has already begun to prepare the parcels of land on the east side of Church Road for further expansion of our community.

NV Homes and Ryan homes will build homes in the remaining sections of Fairwood. We're projected to reach 75 percent completion in 2015, at which point control of the Fairwood Community Association will transfer from the developer to residents. For this reason, we highly recommend all residents become knowledgeable of and involved in our community's governing process.

Help Close the Door on Crime!

From the Fairwood Surveillance Committee

Most homeowners envision burglars breaking a window or forcing a door open to gain access into a home. Not so. Nearly half of all residential burglaries occur via access through an unlocked door or window. But the quickest and simplest means for most burglars to gain entry is often through an open garage door.

Garage door security is critical. FBI, local Sheriff/Police data and Department of Justice Statistics all tell us repeatedly that thousands of homes are burglarized every year.Many of these burglaries had one thing in common: owners who left garage doors open.Police say open garages invite burglars who, once in, may take the opportunity to walk through another door into the home. And anything can happen once they are in your house.

Don't risk yourself or your family's safety. The best advice is to always keep garage doors closed when not in use. Simply leaving a garage door open can lead to more serious crimes such as murder, rape, kidnaping, and or home invasion robberies to name a few.