FAIRBORN — The City of Fairborn is still under a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The declaration made over Fairborn, as well as the “shelter in place order” that is set across the State of Ohio, will be in place until at least Monday, April 6. At that time, Fairborn City Council will hold a regular meeting in which they will decide if the emergency declaration will continue or if it will be lifted.
The city being under a state of emergency means that all city buildings are closed to the public, with an exception to the Fairborn Municipal Court. City parks, with an exception to the Wag Pad dog park, remain open, although playgrounds, fitness, tennis, disc golf and basketball courts are off-limits to prevent the spread of germs. The tool lending closet is temporarily closed. Public meetings, events and parks events are also canceled through April 6.
The City of Fairborn has been posting coloring pages on its social media pages to help keep local children entertained. The coloring pages center around Fairborn landmarks and the history of the city.
“So far, the closing of the city building and having folks work from home is going better than expected,” City Manager Rob Anderson said. “We are still able to keep the business of the city running, but still maintain some safe social distancing so as not to violate the orders of the governor.”
If individuals have business to do with the City of Fairborn, they are encouraged to do so online:
– File building permits at http://bit.ly/fairbornpermits
– File engineering permits at http://bit.ly/fairbornengineeringpermits or contact 937-754-3055
– Pay water bill at http://bit.ly/fairbornwaterbill
– Pay income tax (which has been extended to file by July 15) at http://bit.ly/fairbornincometax
– Water shut-offs have been suspended; to re-activate water that has been shut-off, contact the utilities department at 937-754-3007. Individuals are still encouraged to pay their water bill.
The Fairborn Police and Fire Departments are still operational. However, the police lobby is closed. If individuals are experiencing an emergency, they can call 911; if they are experiencing a non-emergency, they can dial 937-754-3000.
The Fairborn Fire Department is not offering tours, ride alongs or business inspections at this time. The amount of riders permitted in the back of medics if a patient is transported to a medical facility is also limited.
Fire personnel are taking proactive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by utilizing personal protective equipment, and are taking steps to conserve the amount of gear they have available by following new protocols when responding to calls.
Local first responders are conducting “threshold assessments” in which one member of the responding crew will approach the home first to see if the medical actions can be performed outdoors and/or by less responders. That way, crews are able to conserve as much of personal protection gear as possible.
“Anyone who calls 911 and are experiencing symptoms has to give us that information to dispatch so that our crew is made aware,” Fairborn Fire Chief Dave Reichert said in a previous interview.
He highlighted that if one member of the Fairborn fire crew becomes infected with COVID-19, “it starts a snowball effect.”
“It’s not just one person [who would be infected],” Reichert said, adding that his goal is to protect the family members of the fire crew as well. “It could dwindle our staff and ability if a firefighter is at home quarantined and can’t work … exposure would damage the amount of people out there on the street.”
He emphasized that COVID-19 brings about questions, but encouraged individuals to err on the side of safety.
“We have to work together,” Reichert said. “It’s not just the efforts of one, but the efforts of all to get through this.”
City Manager Anderson echoed those sentiments, and asked Fairborn citizens to not lose hope.
“We are in uncertain times, but we must not lose sight of the fact that this will get better and we will get back to our normal lives,” Anderson said. “Yes, we have to change our habits for a period of time, but by doing this we can get back to normal faster. Stay safe, wash your hands and look out for each other … If possible, support the local restaurants that are trying to stay open during this time. Most of all, please try to show each other some grace. We are all struggling trying to adapt to these new rules. The least we can do is be kind to each other.”
