Department of Health Office, Room 109
Town Hall, 2 Renshaw Road
Phone: 203 656-7320
Fax: 203 656-7486
Open Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm, closed Holidays
Mission Statement
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To assure a safe community and healthy environment to all residents and visitors.
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To uphold public health based environmental regulations and offer personal health services to the community.
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To promote healthy lifestyles through preventative education initiatives.
A Message From David Knauf, Director of Health
"Welcome to the Town of Darien Health Department website. It is our intention to use this space to provide you with up-to-the minute public health information as well as provide conveniently available application forms for your use. Please email me if you have any questions or comments. Good health to you!
January, 2012 Quarterly Report to the Board of Selectmen
Health Department Performance Presentation 2012
- Caleb Moore, M.D.
Medical Advisor
203-655-6799
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"Whooping Cough Cases in Darien on the Rise" by Caleb Moore, M.D.
Staff Contact Information:
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Fee Schedule, Applications & Regulations: Click here
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RADON: January is "Radon Awareness Month". A limited number of free test kits are available at the Health Departmen office in the Darien Town Hall and you are encouraged to test your home for this potential health risk.
National Radon Action Month
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Fee Schedule
Flu Vaccine Now Available!
Call 203-656-7320 to schedule your flu shot or make your appointment on line 
Pneumonia Vaccine is also available
Flu Vaccine: What you Need to Know (CDC)
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FOOD AND WATER SAFETY DURING A POWER OUTAGE
Emergencies can happen. When they do, the best strategy is to already have a plan in place.
Do you know the proper food and water safety precautions if a hurricane, or any other natural event, causes a power outage?
Get quick tips on basic preparations for emergencies, what to do both during and after a power outage, how to keep water safe and to keep food safe if flooding occurs.
"Fact Sheets to Prepare Yourselves And Your Families For Public Health Hazards and Disasters"
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Health News
NEW! Restaurant Inspection Ratings Available on-line!
The Darien Health Department has instituted a food establishment inspection “Rating” program which is now available on-line. This is a program designed to provide the public with some basic information about the sanitary conditions observed in the facility, not just at the time of the inspection, but over the past year. Ratings are provided by the Department to the food service establishment with the inspection report during each inspection and are based on the following factors: the absence/presence of “Critical Violations” that are likely to cause food borne illness, the absence/presence of chronic violations as noted in past inspections, the facility inspection history and efforts to correct previously noted violations, the training and demonstrable knowledge of food service personnel, and the overall sanitary conditions in the facility at the time of inspection.
The Ratings are very simple and apply to those facilities that prepare “potentially hazardous” food:
Good: A food service establishment shall receive a Good Rating when safe food handling practices with no critical violations were observed at the time of inspection and the facility was found to be in considerable compliance with the factors outlined above.
Fair: A food service establishment shall receive a Fair Rating when the minimum requirements of the Connecticut Public Health Code were met at the time of inspection but improvements were needed in the food handling practices of food service personnel and the factors outlined above.
Poor: A food service establishment shall receive a Poor Rating when chronic or critical violations that are likely to cause food borne illness were evident at the time of inspection, or the
facility received a score below eighty (80) or had one (1) or more four (4) point demerit items in violation, or was not in compliance with the factors outlined above.
Search for an establishment RATING
"Darien's Unwanted Drug Collection Day Was a Success!"
We collected over 150 pounds of unwanted, unused drugs on Saturday, October 29th. I would like to thank everyone who helped make this a success, especially the Darien Police Department. We plan on participating in any subsequent collection days and hope we can establish a permanent drop off location for residents once the police station renovations are complete.
- Disposing Prescription Medication and Needles (Sharps)
- Health Risk Advisory for Tanning Booths
- Tanning And The Sun
- Head Lice Information
- Fish Advisory Update 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Did You Know? from CDC
- Visiting Nurse & Hospice offers Free Blood Pressure Screening (click here) for 2011 schedule
NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED
- "What Do I Do With.......?" A Citizens Guide to the Management & Safe Disposal of Household Items.
- Plastics and Health
- Rabies, Basic Information
- "National Pesticide Information Center" All about pesticide Exposure & Usage
- CDC West Nile Virus (see attached)
- West Nile Virus Statistics from the Conn. Dept. of Public Health
"Lyme Disease - Awareness & Prevention"
- FREE - Tick Removal Kits Available at the Darien Health Dept. office in Town Hall
- Ticks, Lyme Disease & Darien
- Tick Management Handbook
- Managing Urban Deer in Connecticut
Lyme Disease Organizations and Information
- American Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc.
- Lyme Disease Foundation
- Lyme Disease Network
- Center for Disease Control - Lyme Disease ____________________________________________________________________________________
Advisories and Recalls
U.S. Department of Agriculture - Food Safety & Inspection Service
This page contains summary of data on active recall cases. After a recall is completed, it will be removed from this listing but will be included in the Recall Case Archive.
- FSIS (Food recalls and advisories)
- FSIS Archives
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Recalls)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products. Use the links below to the CPSC website where you can find information on over 4,000 product recalls and recall alerts, report a product, or search past recalls dating back as far as 1973.
- CPSC's Recalls and Product Safety News Homepage (includes recalls for all products current and past months/years)
- Infant/Child Product Recalls (not including toys)
- Toy Hazard Recalls
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Indoor Air Quality
- Carbon Monoxide, The Quiet Killer
- List of Certified Radon Mitigation Professionals
- Indoor Air Quality Testing Should Not Be The First Move 
- Get Rid of Mold
- Get The Mold Out: Mold Clean-Up Guidance for Residences
- Flooding and Mold Information
- Mold in the Home: Health Concerns
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Food
- When Opening a New Establishment or Changing Ownership
- How to Prevent Foodborne Illness
- "Food Safety in an Emergency"
- Guide for Temporary Food Service
- "Connecticut Restaurant Association offers ServSafe Classes."
Register for Classes On-Line or Download Registration Form
Download 2012 ServSafe Schedule
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Recreational Shellfishing In Darien
The Town of Darien Recreational Shellfishing Permits are now available to non-residents for an annual fee of $40 (January-December). Go to Fee Schedule, Applications & Regulations for Shellfish Application.
- Permits for Darien/Stamford residents are $20.
- Permits for Darien/Stamford seniors (age 65 and older) will continue to be free.
- Are Shellfish Beds Open? Call 203-838-9807
- Shellfishing Rules in Darien
- Map of Approved Shellfish Areas
- Tide Chart
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Public Beach Water Safety Program
- Hotline - Testing of beach waters will resume in May, 2012.
- Advice to Swimmers - Precautions to Help Make your Visit to the Beach Safe & Healthy
- Ensuring Safe Water Quality at Our Beaches
- Public Beach Water Sampling Program 2009 - Report to the Selectmen
- Public Beach Water Sampling Program 2010
- Public Beach Water Sampling Program 2011
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PUBLIC POOLS ( includes Condo Assoc. & Private Clubs)
- CT Dept. of Public Health Regulations
- Reminders for Pool Operators
- Your Disinfectant Team: Chlorine and pH
- Fecal and Vomit Cleanup in Public Pools
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Septic Systems
If your home has a septic system, all the wastewater from your home is being discharged into the ground on your property. A properly installed and maintained septic system should give you many years of service but there are some things homeowners need to be aware of in order to maximize the useful length of time such systems work. Costs of repairs and replacement systems can be well into the five figure range, so a little preventative maintenance can go a long way. Please click here to learn more.
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Private Wells
- Local Labs that test water click here for labs
- "So You Own a Home with a Water Supply Well . . . . .What you need to Know"
- Fluoride in Well Drinking Water
- Flood and Storm Water Concerns
- Disinfecting Wells
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"Some Helpful Links":
- Environmental Hazards Booklet April 2011