Newark Activates ‘Code Blue’ Ahead Of Cold Weather: See Shelters

NEWARK, NJ — Newark officials have activated a “Cold Blue” alert as weather forecasters call for severe cold weather this week.

The citywide alert will start Tuesday evening and will last until Thursday morning. Code Blue notices are issued when temperatures reach 25 degrees Fahrenheit or lower without precipitation, or 32 degrees or lower with precipitation.

“Newark is preparing for cold temperatures this week,” Department of Health and Community Wellness Director Mark Wade said. “We will meet nature’s challenge with the strength and resilience that defines us. I urge our residents to take precautions to keep their homes safe and be safe when they are out and about, and to check on their neighbors, especially the disabled, children and the elderly.”

“We are expected to endure temperatures as low as 25 degrees, and residents should take measures to ensure their safety at home and when outside of their home,” Wade said.

According to city officials, Newark’s housing code requires all property owners to supply heat from Oct. 1 through May 1 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. at a minimum inside temperature of 68 degrees, and between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. at a minimum inside temperature of 65 degrees.

To report no heat or hot water in an apartment, call the Division of Code Enforcement at (973) 733-6471.

Anyone with questions about the city’s heat ordinance or any other Newark municipal policy or program can contact the Newark Non-Emergency Call Center at (973) 733-4311 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

HOMELESS SHELTERS

There are multiple shelters in the city that will provide overnight respite during the cold snap, officials said (see list below).

For more information about sheltering services, contact the facilities listed below or the Department of Health and Community Wellness, Division of Social Services at (973) 877– 9481, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

SAFETY TIPS

According to Wade, even if the weather doesn’t seem threatening, it’s important to wear several layers of clothing if you venture outside.

“Gloves and socks should be kept as dry as possible,” Wade recommended. “Insulated boots that do not obstruct circulation are essential in very cold weather. Warm head covering is particularly important, since 30 percent of heat loss is from the head.”

City officials offered the following cold weather tips:

• Keep the house heated to a minimum of 68 degrees. The temperatures inside the walls where the pipes are located is substantially colder than the walls themselves. A temperature lower than 68 degrees will not keep the inside walls from freezing.
• Identify the locations for the main water shutoff in your home. Find out how it works in case you have to use it.
• Open hot and cold faucets enough to let them drip slowly. Keeping water moving within the pipes will prevent them from freezing.
• Check on seniors to make sure that they are warm and dry.
• Stay indoors as much as possible.
• Check all windows and doors for drafts. Place plastic if you feel a draft.
• Do not leave space heaters unattended.
• Do not use generators indoors.
• It is illegal to use kerosene heaters indoors.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
• Take inventory of emergency items.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly.
• Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning by checking and cleaning your furnace and chimney regularly and ensure you have proper ventilation and the exhaust pipe is free of debris.

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