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Vermont Interfaith Action tells House Human Services how state extreme-cold shelter program is triggered and limited
Summary
Vermont Interfaith Action outlined how the state's extreme cold weather shelter program monitors forecasts, triggers optional (0°F) and mandatory (-10°F) activations, and reimburses approved sites; witnesses and lawmakers raised staffing, communication and public-information gaps and asked for a site-by-site bed inventory.
Melissa Battag, executive director of Vermont Interfaith Action, told the House Committee on Human Services on Jan. 16 that VIA administers Vermont's extreme cold weather shelter program and that its primary goal is to prevent loss of life among people living outdoors.
Battag described a protocol that begins with daily weather monitoring and checks with shelter providers. "No 1 should be left outside when weather conditions pose a serious and foreseeable risk to human safety," she said. VIA assesses temperature, wind chill, precipitation and duration to decide whether to activate emergency provisions and then sends activation notices to approved shelter…
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