Winnipeggers are being asked to look out for one another during this extreme cold snap.

Assistant chief, emergency management & public information officer for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Jay Shaw says if you see someone you think is experiencing hypothermia or is in distress due to the cold, call 911 and stay with that person.

"That's kind of critically important," he says. "Sometimes what happens is people call 911 from a cell phone and they don't stay and then sometimes we get some trouble trying to find those individuals. So if you see someone in distress -- someone who looks like they've fallen, someone who looks a little bit out of place -- if you're going to make that 911 call, stay with that individual and provide us with as much information as you can, so we can find them and offer them the best support and care that we can."

The city has issued an advisory saying public facilities are open during regular hours for anyone who needs to just get out of the cold and warm up. That includes places like libraries, swimming pools, and City Hall, among others (hours of operation during the holidays for City of Winnipeg facilities can be found here).

Shaw says they haven't seen a spike in cold-related distress calls.

Winnipeg Police public information officer constable Jay Murray says this isn't an issue that only applies to Winnipeg's homeless population. He says keep a close an on friends and family, particularly at holiday parties.

"If you have somebody that leaves a party on foot, you're going to want to try to ensure that they get... home safely. We see it every year: where somebody wanders off or isn't dressed for the weather and becomes a medical distress as a result of that," says Murray.

Murray says New Year's is always very busy for police, and he doesn't expect any additional officers on duty to handle cold-related calls.

"Our frontline officers and cadets always have their eyes open for anyone in medical distress," says Murray.

Murray says police headquarters is open 24/7, for those seeking refuge from the cold.