CITY OF NEWARK REMINDS RESIDENTS TO STAY SAFE DURING SNOW STORM & EXTREME COLD;

EMERGENCY SHELTER IS OPEN

Residents should check on elderly neighbors, have fresh batteries in Carbon Monoxide (CO2) detectors, and watch for signs of frostbite

Newark, NJ – March 14, 2017 – Mayor Ras J. Baraka, the Newark Municipal Council, and the Newark Department of Health & Community Wellness (NDHCW), and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) warns residents that they should take measures to ensure their safety at home and when outside of their home. Cold temperatures are impacting the region and the City has activated operation of an “Emergency Shelter” for residents as a temporary location of refuge during the harsh weather conditions.

The Emergency Shelter will be open continuously through Thursday morning, March 16, 2017 from 8pm to 8am. The location is John F. Kennedy Recreation Center located at 211 West Kinney Street in the Central Ward. Residents are encouraged to stay home if they experience temporary loss of power but have the option to go to the emergency shelter if needed during the storm.

Interim Director, Dr. Denise V. Rodgers encourages residents to stay safe and to visit https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/, regarding how to deal with power outages and additional storm safety tips.

The Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness remind residents of the hazards of cold weather. Several layers of warm clothing and protection against moisture and wind are important, even though weather may not seem to threaten cold injury. Gloves and socks should be kept as dry as possible. Insulated boots that do not impede circulation are essential in very cold weather. Warm head covering is particularly important, since 30 percent of heat loss is from the head

The City offered the following tips on keeping homes safe:

• Keep sidewalks and entrances to your home free of snow and ice.
• Watch for ice dams near gutter downspouts. Keep gutters free of leaves and debris so that melting snow and ice can flow freely. Ice dams can cause water to build up and seep into your house.
• 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.
• Test smoke alarms monthly.

1. Avoid shoveling snow if you are elderly or have a heart condition.
2.  Hypothermia can occur when exposed to low temperatures. Your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. Warning signs in adults are shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech, drowsiness.  However, in infants they can be bright red cold skin and very low energy.  Take the person’s temperature. If it is below 95°, the situation is an emergency. Get medical attention immediately.
3. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in affected areas.  It most often affects your nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers or toes. Any of the following signs may indicate frostbite:
   • A white or grayish-yellow skin area.
   • Skin that feels unusually firm or waxy.
   • Numbness. A victim is often unaware of frostbite until someone else points it out because the frozen tissues are numb.

If you are experiencing signs of frostbite:

• Protect your skin from further exposure. If you’re outside, warm frostbitten hands by tucking them into your armpits. Protect your face, nose, or ears by covering the area with dry, gloved hands. Don’t rub the affected area and never rub snow on frostbitten skin.
• Get out of the cold. Once you’re indoors, remove wet clothes.
• Gradually warm frostbitten areas. Put frostbitten hands or feet in warm water — 104 to 107.6 F (40 to 42 C). Wrap or cover other areas in a warm blanket. Don’t use direct heat, such as a stove, heat lamp, fireplace or heating pad, because these can cause burns before you feel them on your numb skin.
• Don’t walk on frostbitten feet or toes if possible. This further damages the tissue.
• Get emergency medical help. If numbness or sustained pain remains during warming or if blisters develop, seek medical attention.

  Anyone with questions about the City’s no-heat ordinances or any other Newark municipal policy or program can contact the Newark Non-Emergency Call Center at (973) 733-4311.

  -NEWARK-
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