Email Body:
Greetings AWS Partners,
The Advance Warning System (AWS) disseminates information to New Yorkers with disabilities and access and functional needs through their service providers. Please share the important information below with your clients and other agencies or individuals to empower them to make informed decisions:
Following a wintry start to the week, dangerously cold temperatures and wind chill values as low as -15 degrees are forecast to affect New York City beginning Friday morning. For forecast updates, visit the National Weather Service online. New Yorkers are advised to check on their neighbors ? especially the elderly and those with disabilities and access and functional needs ? friends, relatives and clients (if you are a service provider). People most likely to be exposed to dangerous cold include those who lack shelter, work outdoors and/or live in homes with malfunctioning or inadequate heat. Seniors, infants, people with chronic cardiovascular or lung conditions, people using alcohol or drugs and people with cognitive impairments such as from dementia, serious mental illness or developmental disability are at increased risk.
New Yorkers are also encouraged to take the following precautions:
� Stay indoors as much as possible.
� Report any loss of heat or hot water to property managers immediately, and call 311.
� If homes lack heat, get to a warm place, if possible, and wear extra layers of dry, loose-fitting clothing, hats and gloves to help stay warm.
� Never use a gas stove to heat your home.
� Never use a kerosene or propane space heater, charcoal or gas grill, or generator indoors or near the home.
� When outdoors, wear warm clothing and cover exposed skin. Use multiple layers to maintain warmth.
� Seniors should take extra care outdoors to avoid slips and falls from icy conditions.
� If you are concerned about someone on the street who may be homeless and in need of assistance, call 311 and ask for the Mobile Outreach Response Team. The Department of Homeless Services will send an outreach team to the location to assess the individual's condition and take appropriate action.
� If your building is cold, check on your neighbors. If you know someone who is vulnerable and lacking heat, help them get to warm places, and notify the building manager and/or call 311 to get heat restored. If you see someone with signs of hypothermia, such as confusion, shivering, slurred speech, and drowsiness, call 911 for help and help the person get warm while waiting for help.
� Homeless Services: Special protocols are in effect when the temperature drops below 32 degrees. No one seeking shelter in New York City will be denied. Anyone who sees a homeless individual or family out in the cold should call 311 immediately and an outreach team will be dispatched to assist them.
MORE INFORMATION
For more helpful tips for staying warm and safe, view NYC Emergency Management's winter weather video, or visit NYC.gov/EmergencyManagement. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for Notify NYC, the City's free emergency notification system. Through Notify NYC, New Yorkers can receive phone calls, text messages, and/or emails alerts about traffic and transit disruptions and other emergencies. To sign up for Notify NYC, call 311, visit NYC.gov/notifynyc, or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter.
NYC Emergency Management will continue to monitor this weather system, and the agency's Human Services Unit will keep you updated as the situation develops. If you have any questions or comments during this time, please do not hesitate to contact the Human Services Unit. If you need assistance immediately contact Watch Command at 718-422-8700.
NYC Emergency Management Human Services Unit:
Human Services email distribution list: humanservices@oem.nyc.gov
Johanna Conroy
Director of Human Services
Cell: 917-662-3295
jconroy@oem.nyc.gov
Marianne Jackson
Special Needs Liaison
Cell: 646-335-5693
mjackson@oem.nyc.gov
Eli Fresquez
Special Needs Coordinator
Cell: 347-386-0389
efresquez@oem.nyc.gov
Cynthia Barton
Disaster Housing Recovery Program Manager
Cell: 917-468-2768
cbarton@oem.nyc.gov
Jonas Ballreich
Human Services Emergency Preparedness Specialist
Cell: 347-374-1058
jballreich@oem.nyc.gov
Jay Brandt
Human Services Emergency Preparedness Manager
Cell: 646-596-3147
jbrandt@oem.nyc.gov
Annette Santiago
Director of Human Resources
Cell: 347-534-7028
asantiago@oem.nyc.gov
Marnie Suss
Interagency Training Coordinator
Cell: 917-468-1728
msuss@oem.nyc.gov