The Advance Warning System (AWS) disseminates information to people with disabilities and others with 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.
Dear AWS partners,
In response to the approaching winter storm, a winter weather emergency declaration has been issued by Mayor Mamdani. All non-emergency travel will be restricted beginning 9 p.m. Sunday to 12 p.m. Monday. NYC Emergency Management urges you to read the following information and prepare yourself and your clients for this event. We encourage you to conduct outreach to your clients to ensure they receive this information.
SAFETY TIPS
- Stay informed. Before and during an emergency, the city will send emergency alerts and updates to New Yorkers through various channels, including Notify NYC. Notify NYC is available in 14 languages, including American Sign Language (ASL). Sign up for emergency notifications online or call 311.
- Cold weather puts extra strain on the heart. Be careful when shoveling snow. Clients with heart disease or high blood pressure should follow the advice of their healthcare provider.
- It is safer to stay indoors. Non-emergency appointments and activities should be rescheduled. Consider pivoting in-person services to remote where appropriate. Providers should adjust services for clients as needed, including consideration for clients who are homebound and may need access to supplemental meal delivery or medical services.
- Staff and clients that go outdoors should wear dry, warm clothing and cover exposed skin. Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered. Wear a hat, hood, scarf, and gloves. Shivering is an important first sign that the body is losing heat. Shivering is a signal to return indoors.
- Seniors and those with disabilities should take extra care outdoors to avoid slips and falls. Small accumulations of ice can be extremely dangerous to pedestrians. Exercise caution and avoid slippery surfaces; some ice may not be visible. Wear sturdy boots that provide traction to reduce slipping. Use handrails when using stairs.
- Be prepared for public transit cancellations and delays, including longer wait and ride times on MTA Access-A-Ride (AAR). For AAR service updates, issues regarding same-day trips, trip updates, and to cancel trips, please call Access-A-Ride at (877)-337-2017. For updates on subway and bus service, please visit www.mta.info.
- A stove or oven should never be used to heat a home. Anyone using an electric heater should make sure it is plugged directly into a wall out (not an extension cord or power strip) and keep it away from any flammable items (such as clothing).
- Ensure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working properly.
- Heat or hot water complaints should be directed to landlords and building management. If the problem is not resolved, complaints can be submitted to 311.
- Be prepared for potential power outages. If an outage occurs, turn off all appliances, keep refrigerator/freezer doors closed to prevent food spoilage, and do not use generators indoors. Clients who use life sustaining equipment (LSE) and need immediate assistance should dial 911.
- Report outages, downed power lines, and damaged electrical equipment to power providers immediately. Con Edison’s 24-hour hotline is 800-75-CONED (752-6633) (TTY: 800-642-2308). Outages can also be reported online on Con Edison's website. National Grid’s 24-hour hotline is 718-643-4050 (TTY: 718-237-2857). PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour hotline is 800-490-0025 (TTY: 631-755-6660)
- Report downed trees and damaged tree limbs to 311; if there is immediate danger, call 911.
- Limit alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol causes the body to lose heat faster. Alcohol also impairs judgment, which limits the ability to take appropriate precautions. As a result, alcohol actually increases your chances of hypothermia and frostbite.
Employees and Service Providers who provide essential services may be exempt from the emergency travel restrictions if they fall under one of the following categories:
- First responders
- Healthcare and homecare workers
- Homeless shelter and outreach workers
- Police officers and peace officers
- Public transit workers
- Any workers engaged in vital City services
- Delivery of food, medical supplies, or fuel
- News media
- Hotel workers
- Utility workers performing emergency repairs
- Persons employed by pharmacies, grocery stores (including all food and beverage stores), convenience stores, bodegas, gas stations, laundromats, hotels, restaurants/bars, and hardware stores
- Individuals seeking medical treatment or medical supplies
- For-hire vehicles used to transport persons employed to perform any of these services to and from their places of employment
- Nonprofit and private organizations providing emergency relief
For Employees and Service Providers who are exempt and must travel:
- Use extra caution. Vehicles take longer to stop on snow and ice than on dry pavement.
- Four-wheel drive vehicles may make it easier to drive on snow-covered roads, but they stop less quickly than other vehicles.
- Use major streets or highways for travel whenever possible.
- Know your vehicle’s braking system. Vehicles with anti-lock brakes require a different braking technique than vehicles without anti-lock brakes in snowy conditions.
- If you are driving and begin to skid, ease your foot off the gas and steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go. Straighten the wheel when the car moves in the desired direction. If you have an anti-lock braking system (ABS), apply steady pressure to the brake pedal. Never pump the brakes on an ABS equipped vehicle.
- Try to keep your vehicle’s gas tank as full as possible.
The Emergency Weather Declaration also:
- Suspends Alternate Side Parking for Monday, Feb. 23.
Sample Client Conversation
“I want to check in because a winter storm is expected and non-emergency travel will be restricted. Do you have the supplies you need to stay indoors and keep warm? If you must go outside, be careful of icy sidewalks and steps, and dress in warm layers. If you have an emergency, call 911 right away. Make sure you are signed up for Notify NYC for important updates during the storm.”
For more safety tips and information on this weather event, visit NYC Severe Weather.
Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping New Yorkers safe.
The Advance Warning System (AWS) alerts organizations who work with people with disabilities and access and functional needs to various types of hazards and emergencies in New York City that may affect people's independence and daily lives. Participating organizations receive public preparedness and emergency information that they can relay to their clients and other similar agencies. If you work for an organization that serves people with disabilities or access and functional needs you can subscribe for AWS Alerts at the following link: https://www.advancewarningsystemnyc.org/aws
Please do no reply to this e-mail. This mailbox is not monitored. To make changes or receive assistance with your account, please login to the AWS website or contact us through the AWS website. If you think you or someone else may have an emergency, call 911 immediately.