Cooling centers open across the Valley to combat summer heat in Maricopa County
PHOENIX - Cooling centers around the Valley are now open.
As we head into the summer months, more than 200 locations will be open across the Valley from now until September.
A cooling center in Peoria is part of a county-wide effort to reduce the number of heat-related deaths in the summer months.
Cooling centers open throughout Maricopa County
With summer heat approaching, more than 200 cooling centers are open in the Valley in an effort to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths. FOX 10's Kenzie Beach has the story.
All 200 locations are open to all residents of the county.
"It’s life or death, especially when it gets, you know, 100 plus degrees," said Adam Preston, Community Engagement Liaison of the Peoria cooling center.
What we know:
Cold water, air conditioning, and a place to sit down and cool off at over 200 cooling centers across the Valley are now open.
"We have heat relief kits, too. Sometimes bags with like, you know, hats and cooling towels and things like that," said Preston.
Heading into the summer months, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health urges everyone to have a plan in place.
"We ask everyone to come up with a plan for the heat season. No matter who you are, you could suddenly find yourself in need of a cool space to go. Air conditioning goes out or whatever may happen, knowing where the nearest cooling center is an important part of that," said Dr. Nick Btaab, Chief Medical Officer of the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
Heat relief effort underway in Phoenix as temps rise
Heat relief efforts are ramping up as temperatures are expected to hit triple digits over the next few days. A major effort to help people stay safe in the heat is now underway in Phoenix.
Local perspective:
The new heat relief network ties each Valley city to one online platform with an interactive map showing each center.
"Everyone is welcome because, you know, everybody's susceptible to the heat," said Preston.
A new partnership with 2-1-1 provides another resource for those trying to find the nearest cooling center, transportation help, utility support, or emergency AC repair, now just a phone call away.
"The good news is once we do reach capacity, we have that network throughout Maricopa County, and we can make sure people have an area to go," said Preston.
Dig deeper:
This year there are new agreements in place with cities and organizations to increase access, with that centers are now open longer and for more days of the week.
The goal is to decrease the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths in the summer months.