Warming Centers Opening In Cheshire

CHESHIRE, CT — The Town of Cheshire is opening warming centers due to the severe cold advisory issued by the National Weather Service, Emergency Management Director Jack Casner announced Wednesday.

“As the Arctic Blast continues to bear down on us and any/all residents that do not have access to heat, please feel free to take advantage of these town facilities being operated as warming centers,” Casner said in a news release.

Warming centers for residents will be open at the following locations:

Cheshire Senior Center, located at 240 Maple Avenue from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday.

The Cheshire Public Library located at 104 Main Street will also be open as a warming station from Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., Friday & Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

The Cheshire Police Department, 500 Highland Avenue, main lobby is open 24/7 and available as a warming center.

In the event of an extended, wide-spread power outage, the town will open the Cheshire Youth Center located at 559 South Main St.

Read more from the news release below:

Parents should monitor their children’s outdoor activities and be aware of any signs of frost bite or distress, especially when the wind chill reaches the zero mark. Limit the time your pets are outside as well.

The Cheshire Emergency Management Team will continue to monitor advisories and wind chill alerts that have been issued by the National Weather Service. Here are some prevention tips from the Ready.gov website to stay safe in the cold:

• Make a Family Communications Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.
• Make an emergency kit for at least three days of self-sufficiency.
• Prepare your home:
• Make sure your home is well insulated and that you have weather stripping around your doors and window sills to keep the warm air inside.
• Make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector.
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand, and make sure everyone in your house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.
• Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
• Insulate your home by installing storm windows or covering windows with plastic from the inside to keep cold air out.
• If you have a wood burning fireplace, consider storing wood to keep you warm if winter weather knocks out your heat. Also, make sure you have your chimney cleaned and inspected every year.
• Have at least one of the following heat sources in case the power goes out:
• Extra blankets, sleeping bags and warm winter coats
• Fireplace or wood-burning stove with plenty of dry firewood, or a gas log fireplace
• Plan to bring pets inside.

For more information, contact the Town Manager’s Office at 203-271-6660.