Mayor Menino Directs City Agencies to Help Keep Residents Safe During Extreme Cold Temperatures to be below freezing with dangerous windchills

     Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced today that the City of Boston is taking all steps to keep residents safe during this severely cold weather and urged residents to check on the well-being of their elderly or disabled neighbors. For assistance during the cold weather, residents can call the Mayor’s 24-hour hotline at (617) 635-4500 or call 911 for an emergency.

     “Boston is experiencing extreme cold and Boston residents need to take precautions to protect themselves against such cold weather,” Mayor Menino said. “As a city, we must work together to ensure the safety of all our residents, especially our elderly, disabled, and homeless. Your eyes and ears can save a life during this weather.”

     Street outreach teams will have extra vans out on the streets urging the homeless to stay in shelters; shelters will open earlier over the next few days and they will be open 24 hours a day in extreme weather. The Emergency Shelter Commission has alerted outreach workers and community partners to areas where homeless may congregate to escape the cold. EMS, Boston Police, and the Boston Park Rangers are working closely to ensure that the homeless receive shelter and medical attention. Mayor Menino urges Boston residents to contact emergency services if they encounter a homeless person who may need help.

     The city’s Commission on the Affairs of the Elderly issued an auto call today to nearly 40,000 seniors asking them to call the Elderly Commission for help and information. The Elderly Commission has also been checking on homebound seniors.

     If you are a tenant, your unit should be heated to 68 degrees during the day and 64 degrees at night. Alert your landlord first to correct any issues. If your landlord does not respond, the city’s “No Heat” hotline number is 617 635 5300 or 617 635 4500 after hours. The city’s Inspectional Services Department will investigate the situation and work with the landlord to get heat turned back on. Inspectional Services has responded to 16 “no heat” calls this weekend and has added an additional housing inspector to help respond to any calls during the cold weather.

     For heating assistance, we urge residents to contact ABCD (Action for Boston Community Development) at 617-357-6012.

     If you have a complaint about your oil dealer’s service, call Mayor Menino’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing at 617 635 3834.