During cold, freezing temperatures, daytime warming stations and backup emergency overnight shelters in Monroe County have different protocols for when they are activated, said Justin Baker, Emergency Management deputy director.
The Emergency Management department activates daytime warming centers when there are cold weather advisories from the National Weather Service or requests from the public, Baker said. Daytime warming stations are located at multiple fire stations and library branches in the county.
“Whenever we have them open, it's for a time slot,” he said. “So like Wednesday, it was like 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. the advisory was done at noon, but we still continued on. So we usually do it for the day.”
The daytime warming stations were not activated on Saturday and Sunday because it was too dangerous for people to be on the streets due to the snowstorm, he said. So far this winter the warming stations have been activated the weekend of Dec. 13 and Monday and Wednesday of this week.
Read more: Monroe County firehouses leave doors open after warming stations officially close
Backup emergency overnight shelters are open when white flag protocols are activated by the Emergency Management Department. White flag protocols go into effect when the temperature is below 32 degrees or wind chills are below 20 degrees, or when snow/ice storm warnings are issued.
The Emergency Management Department will send the alert out to the Heading Home director and other partners in charge of opening the emergency shelters, Baker said.
“They decide, okay, we are going to open the shelter, let's do it, and they get the volunteers and stuff,” Baker said. “Or if they like, ‘okay, we don't have enough volunteers,’ then we can't open the shelter. So it's kind of all up to them after that.”
Emergency overnight shelters have been open numerous times this winter due to temperatures being below freezing, he said.
Read more: Available shelters in Bloomington amid the winter season, donations needed for the winter
Backup overnight shelters that are available when activated are located at First Christian Church: 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. (Washington Street entrance), First United Methodist Church: 219 E. Fourth Street (Fourth Street entrance) or First Presbyterian Church: 221 E. Sixth St. Locations are rotated.
