Extreme Heat Protocol In Effect: Ridgefield Opens Cooling Center

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont has directed Connecticut’s extreme hot weather protocol to be activated effective noon Tuesday through 8:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Ridgefield residents in need of a place to cool down can go to the Parks and Rec facility at 195 Danbury Road between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Non-members must sign in at the desk.

The current forecast calls for temperatures over this period to rise close to or into the low 90s, and the heat index is expected to reach into the mid-90s in certain inland areas of the state.

The following actions are implemented while Connecticut's extreme hot weather protocol is enacted:

• The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security uses its WebEOC communications network, which is an internet-based system that enables local, regional, and state emergency management officials and first responders to share up-to-date information about a variety of situations and conditions.
• Municipalities and other partners submit information on the opening of cooling centers into the WebEOC, providing a real-time database on the availability of these locations statewide. United Way 2-1-1 uses the system to act as a clearinghouse to assist residents in locating a cooling center.
• Regional coordinators from the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security monitor WebEOC in order to respond to any requests from municipalities for state assistance.
• The energy utility companies provide the state with regular updates regarding the impact of the weather conditions on their respective utilities throughout the duration of the protocol.