March is upon us and, boy, did it take forever to get here.
One certain special group of people who did not take the winter off are the scam artists. They work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to take your money. There are hundreds and hundreds of scams that we are hit with each week, and they all vary except for a few common things. The first thing is no one is going to give you money for free. The Tennessee Lottery is the only organization that I know that does this and you still have to physically go to a store and purchase a ticket. Other corporations will give away free money and items but you must enter their contest. The second thing they have in common is pretending to be legitimate. They will use names such as Microsoft, Apple, Google, and so on to give themselves legitimacy when they email or call you on the phone. I have yet to know of a legitimate company that will call you, especially Amazon. I guarantee this is a scam. But if all else fails, if they contact you and want access to your computer to fix something or they convince you that you need to go by gift cards or send cash, it is 100% guaranteed to be a scam – no questions about it. If you ever wonder just give us a call and we can tell you if it is a legitimate email or phone call. However, 99 out of 100 are scams, and the 1 leftover is probably a scam.
March Madness is right around the corner. The weather has improved and we are still recovering from the last two years of the pandemic. It is time to get back to normal. According to the National Highway Transportation Administration, 2,841 people died from distracted driving in 2018. Before picking up your phone while driving to check the latest scores or your bracket, be very mindful that this is not only illegal but dangerous. While celebrating with friends at the local sports bar, remember that not only is driving while impaired illegal and dangerous, you may never make it home to celebrate the win in your bracket. On average, one alcohol-impaired driving fatality occurred every 50 minutes in 2018. A total of 10,511 people were in drunk driving crashes in 2018. It is just not worth it. The average cost of a DUI in Tennessee is $10,000. A DUI is kind of like the gift that keeps on giving way after any court action has been completed.
Here are some home safety tips for seniors. To help keep senior citizens safe at home and on the go, learn these senior safety tips and facts; Focus on balance. Exercise regularly to maintain strength and rise slowly after eating, sitting, or lying down to help avoid dizziness and loss of balance. Responding to falls is easily the number one call for our EMS in Fairfield Glade.
• Medicate safely. Improper use and handling of medication can create serious safety concerns. Check medication expiration dates on all prescription and over-the-counter medications – and follow all directions. You may bring your unused prescription and over-the-counter medication to the police department during regular business hours and drop them off in our dropbox. Last year, we turned over 600 pounds into the DEA.
Store medications safely. Medicine is best kept in its original container, but if you must transfer medication to a new container, clearly label it with the medication name, dose, and expiration date.
• Have easy access to emergency numbers. Post National Poison Control Hotline and other emergency numbers next to all phones. Be sure to add emergency numbers as contacts on your mobile phone as well. To make this easier, we have refrigerator magnets at our front desk so feel free to stop in and grab one at any time.
• Wear an alarm device. Consider wearing an alarm device in case you fall and cannot get up on your own.
• Get annual eye exams. Ensure your glasses or contacts prescription is up to date and that you do not have any conditions that limit your vision.
Handle driving with respect and honesty. If you or your loved one has declining driving abilities, consider alternate forms of transportation. The decision, while difficult, can save lives.
As the weather improves and we have more visitors and construction in our neighborhoods, please be mindful to keep your garage doors closed. This is one of the most common types of thefts we have in our community. It is a crime of opportunity that takes less than a minute to commit and is often impossible to solve. Things such as weed eaters, chainsaws and other lawn equipment just sitting in the garage is just too tempting for those who steal.
As we head closer to the season for concerts and other events, although this has not been a real issue here, please keep your valuables out of sight and keep your car doors locked when you are attending events here and in other places. Most thieves are opportunists and the temptation is sometimes too great to them when they see a wallet lying in the console.
Remember we have a home watch program here and will drive by your home when you travel, remove your packages and lock them up at the police department. You may stop by during business hours and fill out a card or after hours there is a box by the front door containing the cards and you may also fill the card out online at www.fgpolice.org, under the forms tab.
We would like to say a special thank you to the Fairfield Glade Lions Club. We received a grant from them to completely outfit each patrol car with an Automated Defibrillation Device. Last year, three officers received a lifesaving award for their quick action while using these AEDs. Now each car comes standard equipped with these devices thanks to this grant from our local Lions Club.
