(PITTSBURGH) - A Code Blue Action has been declared by the county Department of Human Services (DHS), together with the City of Pittsburgh, and is in effect throughout the county beginning Thursday night, January 4, 2024, at 7:00 pm. The Code Blue event will continue through Friday, January 5, 2024, weather permitting.
Code Blue is declared when the air temperature is forecast by the National Weather Service to fall below 26 degrees Fahrenheit between 4:00 pm and 8:00 am. The plan can also be enacted when the City of Pittsburgh’s Office of Emergency Management activates the Emergency Operations Center in response to severe weather conditions.
County, city, and local homeless shelter provider staff have been mobilized to provide support for the Code Blue Action.
During a Code Blue event:
- Unsheltered individuals will be directed to present for shelter at Second Avenue Commons (700 Second Avenue, Downtown).
- All DHS shelters serving persons experiencing homelessness will remain open to shelter guests 24 hours per day, while air temperatures remain below 26 degrees Fahrenheit. It is anticipated that the Code Blue Action will end on Wednesday, December 20, based on forecasted weather conditions. The county will send another announcement when the Code Blue Action ends.
- If the existing systems are at capacity, people will be transported to the severe weather emergency shelter.
- The City of Pittsburgh has identified am mon Recreation Center (2217 Bedford Ave, Pittsburgh) for this use.
Additionally: