By Kathy Dickinson
For some folks in our region, excessive summer heat and extremely cold winters present a real challenge. To meet that challenge, a Warming/Cooling Center has been established in the Community Room of Becket Town Hall.
Recognizing the difficulties presented by extraordinary weather patterns, a team of volunteers from Becket Washington Friends and Neighbors has been working with Town Administrator Kathe Warden to make this important resource a reality. About a dozen volunteers are lined up to take rotating shifts as necessary to welcome folks in need of relief if temperatures justify. The following protocols have been established:
- An alert will be published via the Town communication system if forecasts and input from FEMA or the State justify opening the center; this will be based on the predicted heat index, often referred to as “feels-like” temperatures. Summer hours for cooling will be noon until 6pm.
- Folks seeking relief will need to sign-in when they arrive, so there is a record of how many people are assisted by this resource.
- No pets will be allowed.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Registrants are responsible for their own drinks, snacks, and meds (water is available).
- If there is a major energy outage during a hot or cold spell, capacity is limited to about 60 people.
- Operations are limited to daytime hours.
This program is up and running. If you haven’t already, go to the town web site and opt in to TextMyGov to receive alerts and updates.
