Staff Reports | Community Updates
City officials presented the 2025 Heat Response Plan to Phoenix City Council as part of the municipality’s ongoing commitment to enhance public health and community resilience by alleviating adverse effects of heat.
“We are going into this year’s heat season with the same intention as the last: to save more lives. Equipped with lessons learned and determination to expand and maximize our impact, we are optimistic that our community partnerships, larger 24-hour cooling center, and additional outreach efforts will bring more people inside and sheltered from dangerous temperatures,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, in the release.
“Extreme heat is a public health emergency that Phoenix is at the frontlines of, and more Valley cities should take similar initiatives to protect their residents. We know that offering wide-ranging temporary heat relief works.”
Last summer, Phoenix experienced record-breaking temperatures, including 113 consecutive days at or above 100 degrees and 70 total days at or above 110 degrees. For the first time ever, Phoenix experienced temperatures exceeding 110 degrees as late into the year as October, according to a press release.
“The city offered more services for heat relief than ever before in 2024. The decline in heat deaths that we saw last summer further proves that heat relief efforts are imperative. The City will continue to expand on its programs going into summer 2025,” said Office of Heat Response and Mitigation Director David Hondula.
“We appreciate the support of Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council and we look forward to working together to expand and enhance the programs and services the City will offer this heat season.”
Respite and cooling centers in downtown Phoenix
As part of the 2025 Plan, the Phoenix will operate a new, 24/7 respite center at 20 W. Jackson Street. The site is accessible for people walking and biking and is in close proximity to public transit. The site will also offer navigation to connect people experiencing homelessness with resources to help end their homelessness, and transportation to shelter or other services as needed.
Phoenix will also extend respite center hours at Cholla, Harmon, and Yucca libraries. The three extended-hour locations will operate until 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and Sundays from noon-10 p.m. Under the 2025 Plan, full library services will be available during operational hours.
All of these locations, and many more throughout the City, will offer water and heat relief supplies throughout the summer.
The 2025 Plan also includes a partnership with the American Red Cross to perform outreach in mobile home communities ahead of the summer to provide safety information and resources. Additionally, the Parks and Recreation Department and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will conduct outreach at select trailheads throughout the summer. Volunteers will be stationed at Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak, and South Mountain every Saturday from May 1 to Sept. 30, between 7 and 10 a.m., providing heat safety education and cold water to trail users.
“The City of Phoenix has taken a proactive and collaborative approach for both this year and last year’s Heat Response Plan,” said Office of Emergency Management Director Brian Lee. “An Incident Management Team operating under a Unified Command concept provides a structured model to effectively harness the shared subject matter expertise of multiple City departments. This will help us to enhance our capacity to provide heat relief and resources to those most impacted by the summer heat.”
