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“Bergen County always went above and beyond helping and sheltering our homeless population during bad weather – even before the Legislature decided to make Code Blue mandatory – and we will continue to do so,” Bergen County Executive James Tedesco said.
“The homeless population is one of the most vulnerable populations we have, so we are letting all 70 towns in our county participate in this comprehensive program, regardless of what their documented homeless population is.
"We are here to help.”
On May 11, 2017, the Assembly approved legislation (A-815) mandating all 21 counties in New Jersey establish a Code Blue Alert Program. In complying with this new statewide initiative, the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management has developed a comprehensive Code Blue Alert Program throughout the county’s 70 municipalities.
This program allows for the sheltering of homeless individuals when the temperature is predicted by the National Weather Service to be 32 degrees or lower with precipitation, or to be 25 degrees or lower without precipitation, or to have a wind-chill of less than 0 degrees or less for two hours or more.
According to the Assembly measure, this is required for any municipality having a documented homeless population of more than 10 people.
The Bergen County Office of Emergency Management has collaborated with numerous county and municipal agencies to make this program a viable option to keep at risk individuals out of harsh environments. To obtain more information or to help a homeless individual, please call 201-753-7762.
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