St. Clair County agencies have adopted a formal protocol to coordinate emergency sheltering during periods of dangerous heat and cold.
The plan establishes weather thresholds for activating emergency shelter operations, designates Blue Water Community Action (BWCA) as the lead coordinating agency and outlines how local shelters and community partners will respond when additional shelter space is needed.
It also creates a $20,000 emergency weather crisis fund, with the City of Port Huron contributing $10,000 and the Community Foundation of St. Clair County providing a matching $10,000.
“I’m super excited with what has happened and where we’re going,” BWCA Executive Director Karen Lake said. “I think this will be a great step in the right direction for St. Clair County. It’s not just a city problem; it’s a county problem. That’s why we’re taking the lead with it.”
Although many of the county’s homeless services are based in Port Huron, Lake said the protocol is intended to serve residents throughout St. Clair County, with the city serving as the county’s hub for shelter and homeless services.
“We do have issues in other areas too. It’s not just Port Huron,” Lake said. “The county seat is where all the services are, and that’s where you tend to have the majority of your homeless in our community because that’s where the access is.”
Lake said the protocol gives agencies across the county a single point of contact to connect people with shelter during extreme weather.
The protocol grew out of last winter’s extreme cold, when organizations worked together but lacked a formal countywide system.
Lake said the planning group finalized the protocol after meetings involving BWCA, the St. Clair County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, local shelter providers, the YMCA, Mid City Nutrition Soup Kitchen, United Way, Port Huron officials and other community partners.
Under the protocol, the St. Clair County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will monitor weather conditions and notify BWCA when activation thresholds are met. BWCA will coordinate shelter capacity, overflow housing, transportation and other emergency assistance.
“The protection of human life is the foremost priority of the City Manager under the City Charter,” Port Huron City Manager James Freed wrote in a memorandum announcing the partnership. “This protocol and contingency funding advance that responsibility by creating a clear, coordinated and timely response when extreme weather places vulnerable members of our community at risk.”
The protocol may be activated during cold weather when wind chills fall below zero degrees or single-digit temperatures are expected after 6 p.m.
During summer, activation may occur when the heat index exceeds 105 degrees and overnight temperatures remain above 80 degrees for two consecutive nights.
Existing shelters — Blue Water Area Rescue Mission, Pathways and Harbor Youth Shelter — will be used first. During extreme cold, BWARM may temporarily expand to shelter both men and women, while additional plans are in place for families. The YMCA is among the locations being considered for overflow sheltering.
“The biggest key piece is making sure the community knows that we do have a plan in place,” Lake said.
BWCA will coordinate shelter placements through its Housing Assessment and Resource Agency (HARA), the county’s entry point for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. During activations, HARA staff will be available around the clock, with calls forwarded to agency cell phones outside normal business hours.
The emergency weather fund will pay for overflow sheltering, transportation and other activation-related needs. Lake said it is not intended to supplement participating agencies’ operating budgets.
Residents seeking assistance during an activation can contact BWCA through the HARA program or call 211. Information about emergency shelter activations also will be shared through local media, social media and community partners.
Contact reporter Andy Jeffrey at ajeffrey@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: County adopts plan for emergency shelter during extreme weather
Reporting by Andy Jeffrey, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andy Jeffrey, Port Huron Times Herald | USA TODAY Network
