The Board encourages residents to have fun and stay safe this Halloween by following these health and safety tips:

• Wear bright, reflective costumes or add reflective tape to costumes so trick-or-treaters are visible to drivers and others.
• Make sure costumes aren’t too long to prevent tripping dangers.
• In case of an allergy, check food and candy labels.
• Do not eat food or treats that aren’t commercially wrapped.
• Plan and review a trick-or-treating route with children.
• Encourage children to travel in familiar, well-lit areas and stick with friends and family.
• Teach children never to enter a stranger's home or car.

The CareCab Program is a new transportation service program designed to support Dedham residents aged 18 years and older seeking access to mental health and substance use recovery programs in the Dedham area. It is a free, convenient, and reliable transportation service available to eligible Dedham residents in need of a ride to and from local providers for mental health and substance use recovery services.

To qualify for the Dedham CareCab program, residents must meet the following criteria:

• Rider must be a Dedham resident
• Rider must be 18 years of age or older
• Rider must be able to enter/exit the vehicle and buildings independently
• Rides must be within Dedham or neighboring communities

Please use one of the following methods to book a ride with the Dedham CareCab:

• Online Application: Visit bit.ly/CareCab_Request
• Request In-Person Application: Town Hall, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday
• Phone or Text: Contact Justin Kelley at 781-805-5712 or email CareCab@dedhamma.gov (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, Tuesday through Thursday)

Requests for appointments must be made at least five days in advance.

Please Note: All personal information provided to book an appointment will be kept confidential.

Although we are having an unseasonably warm October, heating season officially began on September 15^th. This means that homes must be able to maintain an indoor air temperature of 68°F from 7:00am-11:00pm and 64°F from 11:01pm-6:59am.

As windows are closed and heating systems are turned on, air quality in homes can become a concern. According to the EPA there are three basic strategies to control indoor air quality.

1. Source Control- eliminate individual sources of pollution or reduce their emissions
2. Improve Ventilation- increase the amount of outdoor air coming indoors
3. Air cleaners/Filtration- The most effective ways to improve your indoor air are to reduce or remove the sources of pollutants and to ventilate with clean outdoor air, but research shows that filtration can also be an effective supplement to source control and ventilation.

To learn more about improving indoor air quality please visit: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/inside-story-guide-indoor-air-quality

From Your Board of Health,

• Emma Reidy, Chair
• Leanne Jasset, Vice-Chair
• Bernadette Chirokas, Member