Our first heat wave of the summer is here, with 11 counties under excessive heat warnings. Thanks to Governor Hobb’s Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan, Arizona stakeholders across industries and jurisdictions are operating under a standard set of heat initiatives for the first time ever! This plan ensures we use a cohesive and collaborative approach to address extreme heat. 

Arizona Department of Health Services’ (ADHS) Chief Heat Officer, Dr. Eugene Livar, oversees the implementation of the plan. Together, ADHS and our partners are working to make sure you stay safe and cool. 

Anyone can be affected by heat-related illness – in 2022, there were 359 heat-caused deaths and 671 heat-related deaths in the state. That same year, over 4,300 people visited hospitals or emergency rooms due to illness caused by, or related to, heat-related illness. 

You have the power to keep yourself and loved ones safe during extreme temperatures. Our heat page offers a wide range of heat safety tips and information for all your heat-related needs.

April and May events

In May, we kicked off Heat Awareness Week with a joint press conference to share heat protection measures ahead of the heat season. Organizations from across the state participated in the joint press conference, including the Governor’s Office of Resiliency, the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, the Arizona Department of Health Services, Arizona Faith Network, the Arizona Office of Tourism, Arizona State University, the City of Phoenix, the City of Tempe, the Maricopa Association of Governments, Maricopa County, the National Weather Service, Pima County, and the University of Arizona. View the full press conference on our YouTube channel.

On May 21, Central Arizona Shelter Services’ (CASS) held a shoe donation event for unsheltered Arizonans. Together with the Arizona State Lottery and Soles 2 Souls, a nonprofit started by teens, they donated more than 500 pairs of high-quality shoes to prevent hot pavement foot burns for those in need. This is one small part of how CASS advances compassionate community solutions.

In April, the ADHS heat team shared our Recommendations and Findings for the Arizona Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE)-funded states. This is part of a continuing dialogue with the federal government about Arizona’s unique needs around heat.

In May, the Pima County Health Department launched its Beat the Heat Portal to keep residents informed about heat-related illness symptoms and best cooling practices. Their emergency preparedness team has also been hosting joint heat meetings to collaborate with partners and internal stakeholders on situational operation updates, receive heat forecast briefings from the National Weather Service Tucson office, and to share cross-jurisdictional and cross-sector heat planning and policy work.

June events

This week, CBS News interviewed the City of Tempe’s Human Services Homeless Solutions Manager Jessica Wright, and ADHS Chief Heat Officer Dr. Eugene Livar to showcase Arizona’s proactive heat planning and initiatives. The story aired on CBS This Morning! 

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) recently launched an interactive, online heat dashboard to help provide residents with more accessible and timely data around countywide heat-related hospital visits and deaths. MCDPH also launched a heat relief toolkit. Share these materials about free heat relief services and sites to help us save lives.

This week, ADHS visited The American Red Cross of Arizona and New Mexico Headquarters to discuss our collaboration on heat emergency response, community mobilization efforts, and readiness protocols for cooling centers. Together, we are ensuring a cohesive response to extreme heat. When we all work together, Arizonans are better served.

Available all summer

This summer, the State of Arizona will have 18 COOLtainers deployed across the state wherever they are needed most. COOLtainers are solar-powered, mobile, retrofitted shipping containers equipped with AC, so Arizonans can cool off in extreme hot temperatures. Many thanks to the Hobbs Administration, the Arizona Faith Network, and the Arizona Department of Administration for taking this from vision to reality! 

Cooling centers across Arizona will have extended hours so Arizonans can access AC and water whenever they need it. The City of Phoenix recently opened its very first 24/7 cooling center at Burton Barr Library! In partnership with the City of Tucson, The Pima County Health Department has added 40 local cooling center sites. In Yuma County, there are 22 cooling centers throughout the Foothills, Wellton, San Luis, and Somerton. No matter where you live, you can use our cooling center map to find the closest one to you.

During this heat season, and all year round, we must look out for each other. Remember to always check on your family, friends, and neighbors.