Winter Shelter Emergency Info – Cold Weather Tips

Written By: admin on December 9, 2009 No Comment

Original Post by Cincinnati Heath Department, December 9, 2009

Cincinnati—Mayor Mark Mallory and Dr. Noble Maseru, Commissioner of Health, today jointly declared that a Winter Shelter Emergency will be in effect tonight and tomorrow night and will end on the morning of Friday, December 11th. This means the Emergency Winter Shelter located at the Over-the-Rhine Community Center, 1715 Republic Street, will be open from 10:00PM until 8:00AM tonight and tomorrow. Social service agencies and community organizations should refer persons who are not accepted by existing shelters to the OTR Center.

A Winter Shelter Emergency is declared when temperatures are in the single digits and/or wind chill is in the single digits for sustained periods of time; when it is determined that regular shelters are expected to be filled to capacity; and life threatening conditions could result from lack of temporary housing. In addition the Winter Shelter Emergency communication system remains activated.

The Mayor’s Office, Cincinnati Health Department, Cincinnati Recreation Commission, Cincinnati Police, The Drop Inn Center, Duke Energy and the Greater Cincinnati Red Cross are collaborating to provide temporary shelter and support services.

“At these temperatures we are concerned about the health and safety of persons without adequate shelter,” said Dr. Steve Englender, Director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness for the Cincinnati Health Department.

The elderly, young children, adults under the influence of alcohol, and the mentally ill are some of the most at risk populations for hypothermia, which is an abnormally low body temperature that can affect the brain and make the victim unable to think clearly or move well. Shivering, exhaustion, confusion, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness are all warning signs for hypothermia. Frostbite, an injury to the body caused by freezing resulting in a loss of feeling and color in affected areas such as the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes, is also a risk.

Given these extreme temperatures the Cincinnati Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention remind you take precautions to protect yourself and loved ones from these conditions such as:

* Eat well balanced meals with plenty of carbs and avoid alcohol.

* Limit skin exposure to the extreme cold and avoid extended periods of exposure.

* Wear proper clothing such as a hat, scarf, sleeves that are snug at the wrist, mittens, and several layers of dry clothing.

* If you suspect a problem with frostbite or hypothermia you should seek medical care. If body temperature is below 95 degrees it is an emergency.