ARIZONA NEWS

As temperatures rise, over 200 Heat Relief Network locations open across Valley

May 3, 2023, 8:12 AM

(Maricopa Association of Governments Photo)...

(Maricopa Association of Governments Photo)

(Maricopa Association of Governments Photo)

PHOENIX – More than 200 locations providing heat relief opened across the Valley this week, offering safe spaces to vulnerable populations as temperatures rise to potentially deadly levels.

The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and its partners, including the city of Phoenix and The Salvation Army, operate the regional Heat Relief Network annually from May 1 to Sept. 30.

County health officials documented 425 heat-related deaths in 2022, 80% of which occurred in outdoor settings. More than half of last year’s heat-related deaths came in July, and 31% were on days when an excessive heat warning was in effect.

“Heat can be very sneaky and it can make you very sick very quickly, and even more so for our vulnerable populations, like individuals who are experiencing homelessness, our older population that’s on a fixed income and may not be able to run their air conditioning, individuals who work outside for a living, whether they’re doing landscaping or postal workers, etc.,” Kelli Williams, MAG director of human services, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday.

“The Heat Relief Network is just a great community of support across our region that allows individuals who may be vulnerable to heat to be able to come inside and get something cold to drink and be safe first for some time.”

The program includes an interactive online map showing all the locations, of which there are four types: cooling centers, respite centers, hydration stations and collection sites.

“All of our locations are volunteer,” Williams said. “They sign up on our website. There’s a very basic application that just takes a few minutes to complete it.”

Cooling centers are indoor areas with air conditioning and water available.

Respite centers, which are new this year, have the same amenities as cooling centers, but they also allow visitors to sit or lie down for a while to rest.

Hydration stations, which can be indoors or outdoors, hand out bottled water and collect donated items.

Collection sites are places where water and other items can be donated.

“If individuals are interested in getting involved in this work, one of the easiest ways is to help at one of the donation sites by dropping off bottles of water, sunscreen, ChapSticks,” Williams said.

“There’s lots of different supplies that individuals who are escaping the heat can use, but really that bottled water is critical this time of year.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Colton Krolak contributed to this report.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Antwaun Ware received a life sentence for killing Jasmine Dunbar in 2018....

Kevin Stone

Man who killed woman, left baby on side of West Valley road in 2018 gets life sentence

A man who killed his ex-girlfriend and abandoned her baby on the side of a West Valley road in 2018 was sentenced to life in prison.

45 minutes ago

Silver Alert issued for 68-year-old man last seen in Phoenix...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert canceled after missing 68-year-old Valley man returns home

A Silver Alert was canceled after a missing 68-year-old man named Gregory Wascher who was last seen on Wednesday returned home on Friday.

3 hours ago

APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase....

Kevin Stone

Here’s why APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase

APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase after state regulators signed off on a proposed adjustment this week.

3 hours ago

A man died after being pulled from a house fire in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood on Friday morning...

Kevin Stone

Man dead after house fire in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood

A man died after being pulled from a house fire in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood on Friday morning, authorities said.

4 hours ago

off-road vehicle crash...

Kevin Stone

1 teen killed, another seriously injured in off-road vehicle crash at Phoenix canal

One teenager was killed and another was seriously injured in an off-road vehicle crash at a Phoenix canal on Thursday evening, authorities said.

5 hours ago

A new report found one-third of Arizona public grade school students are chronically absent from sc...

Balin Overstolz

Chronic absentee rate for Arizona students remains far above pre-pandemic level, study finds

A new report found one-third of Arizona public grade school students are chronically absent from school, which is double the absence rate before the pandemic.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to start your retirement planning early and avoid costly mistakes

Retirement planning can feel overwhelming, but with the right guidance, you can avoid costly pitfalls.

...

Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Join us for the 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade

The 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe returns on Saturday, December 28, at 10 a.m.

As temperatures rise, over 200 Heat Relief Network locations open across Valley