For Immediate Release: July 20, 2022

Contact: Media Inquiries | media@nycha.nyc.gov

NYCHA Activates Emergency Operations Center in Advance of Temperatures Exceeding 90 Degrees through Sunday

The Authority has prepared throughout the year to minimize the impact of extreme heat and protect vulnerable residents by ensuring inventory is up to date and coordinating the operation of cooling facilities with other City agencies

NEW YORK, NY – The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Wednesday in advance of temperatures exceeding 90 degrees through this Sunday, with temperatures and heat indices being the highest on Wednesday and Thursday. The heat index on Wednesday is over 100 degrees and between 100-105 on Thursday. Working closely with New York City Emergency Management and other partner agencies, the EOC will enable the Authority to coordinate the flow of resources and policy decisions and the dissemination of information to the more than 339,000 New Yorkers living in NYCHA campuses throughout New York City. Cooling centers will be activated starting on Thursday at locations throughout the city to include centers on NYCHA property.

“The summer of 2021 set heat wave temperature records across the nation, and the Authority took the lessons from that time to prepare for this event,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “Our hardworking and diligent NYCHA staffers have been preparing throughout the summer to ready key auxiliary equipment and review our work order system for relevant red flags to help ensure the safety of NYCHA residents.”

“Earlier this year, NYCHA merged the Office of Emergency Management and Emergency Services Department into one department to strengthen our planning and preparedness capabilities for extreme heat and weather events,” said NYCHA Chief Operating Officer Daniel Sherrod. “Additionally, we are currently finalizing an extreme heat annex to systematize our response processes, all in the service of our residents.”

With the activation of the Emergency Operations Center, the Authority will be able to implement the appropriate emergency response level, provide hazard awareness, and disseminate citywide public messaging. The EOC also offers the capability of managing operations with external partners as well. As part of the Authority’s overall preparedness efforts to protect, maintain, and reduce hazards to critical infrastructure, scheduled maintenance outages for electrical, water, and elevator service will be suspended. Additionally, water stations are operational and ready to be deployed, and the Authority is working to ensure that the appropriate personnel are available to manage incidents at its developments. Residents are encouraged to monitor the weather forecast for upcoming heat waves, urge vulnerable people and their caregivers to use air conditioning or go to an air-conditioned place, and alert people at risk to talk to their health care providers about staying safe in the heat. NYCHA staffers have also conducted 515 wellness outreach calls throughout the five boroughs to ensure that residents have the appropriate resources to deal with the extreme heat.

Residents can also be proactive in caring for their neighbors and family in public housing by checking on them throughout the heat event and making sure that they have plenty of drinking water. Be sure to be on alert for signs of heat illness and call 911 if a loved one or neighbor shows these signs.

Through ongoing communications, NYCHA provides tips for staying safe and cool (nyc.gov/beattheheat) and Cooling Center locations (https://maps.nyc.gov/cooling-center/), as well as information regarding power conservation, excavation safety alerts, and spray cap programs.

NYCHA also amplifies NYC’s Advance Warning System (AWS) messaging, which provides safety tips and works in close collaboration with providers of services for vulnerable individuals, including persons with access and functional needs. NYCHA’s Family Partnerships and Resident Engagement departments facilitate additional outreach to certain at-risk residents, encouraging them to voluntarily stay indoors and providing information on their nearest cooling center and knowing when to seek medical assistance, if required. NYCHA is also ensuring resident associations receive up-to-date information throughout the heat emergency.

NYCHA has 26 generators on hand as a contingency measure for power outages during heat events. In addition to the generators, NYCHA has also prepped a range of available equipment, including one light tower, a command bus, an emergency response truck, and a non-potable water truck.

NYCHA has also trained elevator staff in preparation for possible power outages and holds ongoing bi-weekly meetings to disseminate SafeNYCHA advisory information. NYCHA works with City agency partners to ensure that public housing residents are included in all New York City planning and response efforts.

For more information, visit nyc.gov/beattheheat and on.nyc.gov/extreme-heat.

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About the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to roughly 1 in 16 New Yorkers across over 177,000 apartments within 335 housing developments. NYCHA serves over 339,000 residents through the conventional public housing program (Section 9), over 29,000 residents at developments that have been converted to PACT/RAD, and over 92,000 families through federal rent subsidies (the Section 8 Leased Housing Program). In addition, NYCHA connects residents to opportunities in financial empowerment, business development, career advancement, and educational programs. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.