Across Chicago, people working outside face dangerous cold

CHICAGO - Some people in the Chicago area were struggling to stay warm Sunday as they worked outside.

A board up crew just off Pulaski in Garfield Park spent hours taking care of a building that had caught fire. Joaquin Jones' face was bright red; he was not as prepared as coworker Omar Acevedo.

“Double layer pants, thermals, two sweaters, a vest, gloves, that’s it. I’m ready. This is nothing to me," Acevedo said.

Red Cross workers were also outside. They said that if there's not a warming bus available on scene, they try to stay in their cars as much as possible.

“In that case, we’ll just sit in our cars and try to talk to people that way," said Joshua Hamlett. "We’ll just do whatever needs to be done. We’ll bundle up in blankets."

The Chicago Fire Department said that if you don't have heat in your house, call 311 to be relocated to a shelter. And if you do use a space heater, do not overload the outlet.

There were some hearty skaters at Millennium Park Sunday night as the temperature hovered around zero.

“I’ve been out here for like about 20 minutes. Hands are freezing, but it’s really fun to just go out here and skate,” said Darryl Farrow.

“It’s cold, but not as cold once you’re active," said skater Kayla Notre.

Not everyone was convinced.

“It’s cold, it’s too cold,” said Bryce Jones.