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Boston amps up emergency response, issues warnings as frigid cold hits Hub – Metro US

Boston amps up emergency response, issues warnings as frigid cold hits Hub

With temperatures expected to remain well below the freezing mark for the rest of the week, Boston officials are warning people to cover up, stay away from alcohol and keep an eye on the city’s vulnerable population.

“This is particularly frigid weather that we’re experiencing and we’d like to remind everyone who either lives, works or plays in the city of Boston that they need to pay particular attention to making sure that they’re taking additional precautions: dress warmly … limit the time outside whenever possible,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission.

The warnings come as Boston is experiencing extreme cold weather. As of 11 a.m. the temperature in Boston was 13 degrees with a wind chill of -3 degrees.

City officials warned people to dress in layers and avoid having exposed skin. They also said people shouldn’t drink alcohol as it lowers the ability to tolerate the cold.

Officials also asked people to keep an eye on one another, especially the elderly and the homeless. Shelter’s are full, said James Greene, director of the Emergency Shelter Commission, but he said they would find room for people who needed to get out of the cold.

Greene said 10 homeless people who rarely spend time at a shelter came to one of the facilities yesterday. He said outreach workers would be checking on certain areas looking for people who need assistance.

James Hooley, chief of Boston’s EMS, said that since yesterday and continuing through the cold snap, additional ambulances and crews would be working to respond to emergencies and to seek out anyone who needs warmth.

Some people who live, work and go to school in Boston managed to stop their hands from shivering for a minute and took to Twitter to talk about the cold:

[View the story “Boston reacts to the cold” on Storify]