Code Blue shelter plan set for Allegheny County with frigid weather forecast
Frigid temperatures are forecast in Allegheny County beginning Thursday night, prompting a Code Blue Action to provide shelter for the homeless.
County and Pittsburgh officials said the Code Blue will go into effect throughout the county at 7 p.m. Thursday and is expected to continue through Friday night, depending on weather conditions.
Code Blue is declared when the National Weather Service forecasts that temperatures will fall below 26 degrees between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m.
According to its latest forecast, the weather service is predicting low temperatures in Pittsburgh of 20 degrees Thursday night and 26 degrees Friday night.
Weekend lows of 30 degrees are expected.
The Code Blue plan also can be enacted when Pittsburgh’s Office of Emergency Management activates its Emergency Operations Center in response to severe weather conditions.
During a Code Blue event:
• Those lacking shelter will be directed to the shelter at Second Avenue Commons, 700 Second Ave. in Downtown Pittsburgh.
• All Allegheny County Department of Human Services shelters serving the homeless will remain open 24 hours per day while temperatures remain below 26 degrees.
• If existing space reaches capacity, people will be transported to a severe weather emergency shelter at Pittsburgh’s Ammon Recreation Center, 2217 Bedford Ave.
• Outreach teams will focus on informing people who lack housing about the Code Blue status while offering services and support to access the shelters.
County, city and local homeless shelter staff have been mobilized to provide support for the Code Blue Action.
City of Pittsburgh Recreation and Healthy Active Living Centers will open as warming locations if the temperature drops below 20 degrees.
In addition, anyone seeking shelter should call the Allegheny Link at 1-866-730-2368. Families seeking shelter may call that number or visit 1 Smithfield St. in Pittsburgh to meet with a service coordinator.
Walk-in hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.
Code Blue status updates will be posted to Allegheny County Department of Human Services social media accounts.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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