Bergen County Opens Cooling Centers to Address Heat Index

Hackensack, NJ – Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco announces that the County of Bergen has opened several emergency cooling centers throughout the county to help residents stay cool during the current heat wave with temperatures are expected to climb over 90 degrees.

Bergen County has established 4 regional cooling centers. The following will be open which will be open today Wednesday, July 12 through Thursday, July 13th from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.:

County Administration Building

One Bergen County Plaza, Hackensack, 1st Floor                           (201) 336-7300

Garfield Senior Activity Center                                                      (973) 478-0502

480 Midland Avenue, Garfield

*Open until 5:30pm

Northwest Bergen Senior Activity Center

46-50 Center Street, Midland Park, NJ                                               (201) 445-5690
     

Southwest Bergen Senior Activity Center

147 Hackensack Street, East Rutherford, NJ                                       (201) 935-8920        

In addition, several municipalities are designating public spaces such as public libraries, shopping centers, recreation, and senior centers as cooling centers. Residents should consider visiting municipal cooling centers before travelling to the County facility to help avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Residents requiring a ride to a County emergency cooling center may call 201-394-2882 during between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Emergency requests may be arranged after hours by dialing 201-707-1082.

It is recommended that residents stay indoors if possible from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the sun is at its strongest and burns and heat strokes are more likely to occur.  All age groups are at risk for heat stroke so please take necessary precautions if you have to be outdoors, including wearing sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and staying properly hydrated.

It is NOT okay to leave a child or pet in a locked vehicle even for a moment as temperatures can rise quite quickly.  It is also imperative to lock all parked vehicles so children cannot accidentally lock themselves inside while playing games like hide and seek.