TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee has approved a bill establishing a statewide pilot program to alert communities during extreme heat and poor air quality events, marking a major step toward protecting vulnerable residents as climate-related health risks rise.
Senate Bill 2346, as amended, creates a three-year pilot under the State Office of Emergency Management (OEM) within the Division of State Police. The program would select 10 counties to develop coordinated “Code Red” alert systems that notify municipal governments, social service agencies, and nonprofit organizations when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory or reports an Air Quality Index of 151 or higher.
Each participating county’s emergency management office would work with municipalities that have a documented homeless population of at least 10 people to design local Code Red response plans. These plans would include communication and outreach strategies, the operation of cooling centers, and transportation to those facilities. Volunteer organizations could carry out response operations with logistical support from municipal coordinators.
Under the bill, all municipalities, social service agencies, and nonprofits must report the locations of cooling centers to the Department of Environmental Protection for inclusion in Heat Hub NJ’s “Chill Out NJ” public database, a centralized resource for residents seeking relief during heat emergencies.
The measure also authorizes county coordinators to work with NJ 211 to disseminate real-time alerts and information to the public when a Code Red alert is declared. Counties and local agencies would retain the flexibility to open cooling centers or implement other mitigation strategies even when a formal alert is not in effect.
To fund the pilot, the bill appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to OEM, which will distribute $500,000 grants to each of the 10 participating counties. The law provides “Good Samaritan” protections from civil liability for public employees and volunteers operating cooling centers or providing emergency assistance during Code Red events.
The OEM will be required to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature at the conclusion of the pilot, evaluating the program’s effectiveness and recommending whether to make the initiative permanent.
Senate Bill 2346 establishes a three-year, $5 million Code Red pilot program to protect New Jersey residents from extreme heat and air quality emergencies through county-led coordination and public alerts.
