OGDEN, Utah, Nov. 14, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — Dropping temperatures have triggered the second season of Ogden’s Code Blue program assisting the homeless in freezing cold.
The program debuted last winter in a collaboration of the Ogden Emergency Management Office and the city’s police and fire departments, along with community partner The Lantern House, the city’s largest homeless shelter, according to an OPD post this week on social media.
“What is the Code Blue program?” reads the post. “During extreme cold, people experiencing unsheltered homelessness will be encouraged to seek shelter. The primary weather criteria are nighttime temperatures at 20 degrees or below, and at 32 degrees, other factors such as precipitation and wind will be considered.”
The ultimate goal of the program is to save lives, and OPD is asking the public to get involved.
“If you know of anyone at risk due to the upcoming cold weather, please contact Weber Dispatch at 801-395-8221 or dial 911 in an emergency.”
Conditions are monitored by the emergency management staff, OPD said.
The Lantern House works with police and homeless services advocates sheltering those at risk as Ogden police increase homeless outreach and patrols “to identify at-risk unsheltered persons and bring them to shelter.”
