CodeBlue activation: Salvation Army and Farmers Market pavilion provided overflow shelter; no recent exposure-related deaths reported

Dr. Hemmenfall briefed the Santa Fe City Council Quality of Life Committee on Jan. 22 about the city’s CodeBlue response during an extended cold period, saying the city has used overflow sheltering in coordination with local partners.

Dr. Hemmenfall described a sequence of temporary responses that began after a November snowstorm that coincided with exposure-related deaths among people living outside. He said faith-based institutions piloted a sheltering program staffed by the Red Cross in December, but that the Red Cross’s operating rules limited its ability to serve only general-population operations.

More recently, Dr. Hemmenfall said, the city reached an agreement with the Salvation Army to open its facility for multiple nights; the Salvation Army site has capacity for 35 individuals and was staffed by the Medical Reserve Corps and Salvation Army personnel while the city provided security services. "We have worked out an agreement with the Salvation Army, and they have opened up their facility for the past 4 nights, including tonight for the 5th night with 35 individuals," Dr. Hemmenfall said.

The Santa Fe Farmers Market Institute pavilion also opened for two nights and sheltered about 45 people, Dr. Hemmenfall said. He cautioned about his own arithmetic: "So between Salvation Army and, the pavilion, there were, 75 my math is really bad. 80 individuals, being sheltered there for the past, 2 nights." Dr. Hemmenfall added that the pavilion cannot continue to operate as a shelter tonight because of a preexisting event, but that Salvation Army capacity remains available.

Dr. Hemmenfall said the city monitors weather thresholds in the Code Blue plan and activates overflow sites when those thresholds are met. He reported that, benchmarking against the November loss of life, "we have not had a reported exposure related death, over the past 5 days, nor did we have 1 in December." The comments indicated active coordination with the Medical Reserve Corps, Salvation Army and other community partners; no new ordinance or budget action was proposed during the briefing.

Nut graf: The update described operational steps taken to protect people during severe cold, emphasizing partner-run overflow sheltering and an ongoing monitoring process tied to the Code Blue plan’s thresholds.

Ending: Committee members received the update; no votes or formal motions on CodeBlue operations were recorded at the Jan. 22 meeting.