Health Information Portal (HIP)

Community Response Partner Network Newsletter: 1/21/2026

Winter Preparedness

Extreme cold can cause serious ailments, such as frostbite and hypothermia.

• Hypothermia often happens at very cold temperatures but can happen at cool temperatures (above 40 degrees), if a person is wet (from rain, sweat, or cold water) and becomes chilled.
• When a person is experiencing frostbite, they may not know it because they are numb from the cold temperature.

Learn more about winter weather preparedness.

Code Blue in Philadelphia

A Code Blue is activated when temperatures or wind chills drop to dangerous levels.

During a Code Blue, the City takes special measures to keep people who are experiencing homelessness safe. These measures include:

• 24-hour outreach to locate people who are experiencing homelessness and transport them to safe indoor spaces
• Allowing people to stay inside emergency housing throughout the day and providing additional shelter beds.
• During a Code Blue, OEM publishes an interactive map where you can search for a nearby warming center.

Get help during a Code Blue:

• If you are experiencing homelessness, you can go to a City-funded homeless intake center and get help.
• If you see a person who appears to be homeless outdoors during a Code Blue, call the Homeless Outreach Hotline at (215) 232-1984, open 24/7.
• The Office of Homeless Services (OHS) will send their homeless outreach team to any person on the street who needs to be transported to a local shelter or who needs other services.

Enhanced Code Blue:

• When a Code Blue lasts three nights in a row or more, the City will activate an Enhanced Code Blue.
• The Office of Homeless Services activated an Enhanced Code Blue beginning at 9:00pm on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, until further notice, in response to the extremely cold weather.
• During an Enhanced Code Blue, the City opens warming centers that are free and open to the public. 
  • The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) publishes an interactive map that lets you search for a nearby warming center. For current locations and hours, visit phila.gov/GetWarm.
  • Warming centers accept walk-ins. People living outdoors who need transportation can call (215) 232-1984 to request a ride.
  • Sites may change during a weather event, so it is important to check the map before traveling.

Resources

Winter storms create a higher risk of car accidents, hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning, and heart attacks from overexertion.

Read our Stay Healthy and Safe During Severe Weather brochure to learn how to prepare for severe weather.

To view other languages and order FREE copies, visit bit.ly/PHPMaterials.

Staying home to stay warm from the cold means more need for heating and higher utility bills.

Read our Winter Guide to Utility Assistance flyer to learn about resources to help with cold days indoors this winter.

Report heating issues in a rented property.

If you are a renter and do not have working heat, inform your building owner of the issue as soon as possible. 

If your landlord does not repair the problem, contact Philly311. 

• A request will be sent to Licenses and Inspections, which inspects heating issues in residential rented properties.

Heat your home safely.

Heating sources are the second-leading cause of home fires. It is important that you heat your home safely to prevent an emergency.

Here are a few quick safety tips:

• Keep any object that could catch fire at least 3 feet away from a heat source.
• Plug only one heat-producing appliance, such as a space heater, into an electrical outlet at a time.
• Never plug a space heater into an extension cord.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.

Winterize your home and protect your pipes.

Extreme cold can damage your home's piping if not heated correctly. Along with cutting costs on your heating bill, winterizing your home can prevent your pipes from freezing or bursting.

Check out the Water Department's helpful guide on protecting your pipes and avoiding costly repairs.

Keep your pets safe and warm.

Pets can also suffer from lengthy exposure to severe cold. Here are a few quick tips to keep your furry friends safe during the winter months:

Thoroughly wipe off your dog's paws, legs, and stomach after they come in from the sleet, snow, or ice.

Keep your pets inside and make sure they have a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from drafts.

It is against City ordinance to leave a dog outside in severe cold. Owners can face a $500 fine and put their pets in grave danger if they don't follow ACCT Philly's requirements.

Make sure to familiarize yourself with ACCT Philly's extreme weather information.

If you see an animal that does not have adequate water and shelter during extreme weather, call 267-385-3800 and dial 1 to speak with a dispatcher or file a report online with all the details you have available.