As nighttime temperatures dip below freezing, Cumberland County officials are preparing for another demanding season of “White Flag” shelter operations, an emergency system designed to keep unhoused residents safe when the cold turns dangerous.
The county’s White Flag program, managed by Cumberland County Emergency Services, activates only during severe weather nights when the National Weather Service forecasts temperatures at or below 32 degrees. When the threshold is met, local shelters open additional beds and extend hours to ensure no one is left outside in life-threatening conditions.
Garry Crumpler, who oversees emergency management for the county, said the system is straightforward but critical.
“A White Flag night isn’t just about cold weather,” he explained. “It’s about the reality that some people in our community have nowhere else to go, and we refuse to let winter decide their fate.”
Once activated, the White Flag plan relies on a patchwork of community partners, churches, nonprofit facilities, and service organizations that agree to open their doors when conditions worsen. Some locations provide 25 beds; others may offer only a handful.
The goal is consistency, not scale: every partner commits to operating safely, serving hot meals, and offering overnight protection. Transportation is another essential piece.
On White Flag nights, residents without resources can be brought to designated pickup points, where county staff or partner agencies transport them to the shelter hosting that evening’s activation.
“The biggest misconception,” Crumpler said, “is that this program is permanent at one site. It’s not. It rotates because partners have different capacities, and we’re making the best use of what each organization can offer.”
For individuals living outdoors or in unstable conditions, the White Flag system can mean the difference between survival and severe injury. Frostbite risk increases dramatically as temperatures fall, and county leaders have stressed that winter weather affects more than the homeless population alone: individuals living in unheated buildings, cars, or temporary spaces may also seek emergency shelter. Last winter, county emergency services documented dozens of activation nights and an even greater number of requests for assistance. While some residents return night after night during cold stretches, officials say many also come in waves, the newly displaced, the recently unemployed, veterans coping with harsh conditions, and families forced into cars or motels.
“We never ask anyone to prove hardship,” Crumpler noted. “If the cold brings you to the door, that is enough. We are here to keep people alive, not to interrogate them.”
While the program has grown steadily each year, shelter capacity remains the biggest challenge. Some partner organizations can only accept single adults, leaving limited options for families, couples, or parents with children. The county has issued multiple calls for additional nonprofit partners, particularly those equipped to serve vulnerable populations with more complex needs.
Crumpler acknowledged the difficulty, saying community resources often lag behind community need.
“We’d love to have a facility where families, individuals, and seniors can be under the same roof,” he said. “Right now, we’re doing the best we can with the partners we have. The support is strong, but the demand is stronger.”
Several organizations have expressed interest in joining the network this year, though no final agreements have been announced. County leaders say they remain open to proposals and welcome any group with the capacity and willingness to take on the responsibility.
Emergency staff emphasize that despite its seasonal focus, the White Flag system speaks to a broader issue: housing insecurity is no longer limited to a small subset of the population. Rising rents, fewer affordable units, and a growing number of displaced residents have made winter preparations increasingly urgent.
“It’s not just homelessness as people imagine it,” Crumpler said. “It’s folks living in cars, families doubled up in unsafe homes, people leaving hospitals with nowhere to go. The White Flag program gives them a safer option even if it’s only for one night.”
Advocates say that the stability offered by a warm meal, a clean cot, and a secure building often leads residents to additional services such as case management, mental health resources, or employment assistance in the days and weeks after a shelter stay.
As December advances, county officials stress that communication is essential. Residents can check the Cumberland County Emergency Services website for updates and shelter locations or call the county’s information line for transportation arrangements.
Crumpler said the program’s philosophy remains unchanged, even as demands grow.
“Our measure of success is simple,” he said. “If someone survives a night they might not have survived otherwise, then the White Flag did its job.”
With winter forecasted to bring several extended cold snaps, staff and volunteers are bracing for a busy season — one that will require ongoing coordination and community support.
“We’ll be ready,” Crumpler added. “Cold weather doesn’t wait, and neither do we.”