Code Blue Emergency Friday Night, Advisory Sunday Night for Camden County

A Code Blue weather advisory has been added to the existing Code Blue Emergency in Camden County, and will remain in effect through Monday morning.

The Health Officer issued the Code Blue advisory for Camden County effective from 6 p.m. on Sunday to 7 a.m. on Monday.

The County is already under a Code Blue Emergency 6 p.m. Friday night through 7 a.m. Saturday morning.

“Another winter storm is approaching this weekend bringing snow, ice and continued dangerously low temperatures. We need everyone to be sheltered and out of the elements during this severe weather,” Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, liaison to the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services, said. “Before leaving the house, please dress yourself and your children in warm clothing, hats and gloves. Also, please remember to check on elderly relatives and neighbors and bring your pets indoors.”

When the Camden County Health Officer declares a Severe Weather Emergency, municipalities with homeless populations, situational homeless or transient populations are expected to activate their Code Blue response plan to accommodate their immediate needs.

Temperatures will remain cold Friday night, and accumulating snow is expected to hit the region on Saturday afternoon, followed by icy rain Saturday night.

The snowfall could be moderate to heavy at times. Although the temperature is likely to rise into the mid 30’s Saturday night, icing is expected Sunday morning due to the extreme cold in place over the last several days. All precipitation is expected to taper off early in the morning Sunday, with very cold temperatures returning Sunday night into Monday.

The Camden County Health Department and the Office of Emergency Management have worked with each municipality to ensure they have the proper resources to respond to these severe weather situations as part of their individual Code Blue plans. Each municipality has identified its own location to accommodate those in their community seeking shelter from the severe weather.

“During these weather emergencies, we encourage everyone to check on elderly or handicapped relatives and neighbors that live alone,” Rodriguez said. “It is important that most vulnerable among us are not left without heat or electricity.”

Persons seeking shelter in a warming center should contact their local municipality. Additional resources are available by calling the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services at 800-999-9045, or by visitingwww.camdencounty.com.

Additionally, NJ 2-1-1, the free, user-friendly information and referral service that connects people-in-need with critical health and human service resources, is working with county government offices throughout the state to post information on its website and through its call center when Code Blue Alerts and the opening of Warming Centers are communicated.

The Camden County Office of Emergency Management is also monitoring weather conditions.

“As this extreme weather continues, please, if possible, stay indoors today to keep warm and stay out of the elements,” Camden County Freeholder Michelle Gentek, liaison to the Camden County Office of Emergency Management, said. “If you must go out, please take precautions to keep you and your family safe from the extreme temperatures.”

Gentek offers residents the following tips:

• Dress in layers and cover your exposed skin to avoid frostbite.
• It only takes 30 to 45 minutes for exposed skin to develop frostbite
• Mittens keep children’s hands warmer than gloves.
• Avoid wearing cotton, it holds in moisture and loses its insulating properties.
• Remember that even clear-looking sidewalks can be slippery.
• Keep dog walks brief, don’t leave animals outside and consider a dog coat.
• Please check on your neighbors, especially those that are elderly, disabled or live alone.
• Using your ceiling fan clockwise on low recirculates warm air through the room.

• Never use a stove, oven or a gas grill to heat your home.
• Use space heaters safely on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away. Turn off space heaters before going to bed.
• Wood -burning fireplaces should have a glass or metal screen large enough to catch sparks or rolling logs. Never leave children alone in the room when a fire is lit. Keep all flammable items at least three feet away from the fireplace. Always make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed.
• Keep your thermostat at the same temperature day and night. Your heating bill may be a little higher, but you could avoid the costly repair of pipes that freeze and burst.
• To prevent pipes from freezing, run water, even at a trickle. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing, but be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children. Keep garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage.
• In order to conserve electricity, turn off lights and appliances that you do not need or are not using.
• At night, cover windows with drapes or blankets to minimize heat loss. During the day, open blinds to let sun warm the space.

In case of a power outage please report it directly to the appropriate utility provider list below:

• PSE&G: 1-800-436-PSEG (7734)
• PSEG website: http://pseg.com/home/customer_service/outage_info/index.jsp
• Atlantic City Electric: 1-800-833-7476
• Atlantic City Electric website: http://www.atlanticcityelectric.com/home/
• South Jersey Gas: 1-800-582-7060
• South Jersey Gas website: http://southjerseygas.com/