Phoenix is preparing to beat the heat with its latest measures as the city laid out its 2025 Heat Response Plan in front of the City Council and Mayor Kate Gallego, a crucial move considering the record-breaking temperatures it endured last year. "We are going into this year's heat season with the same intention as the last: to save more lives," Mayor Gallego said in a commitment toward bolstering public health and community resilience against extreme temperatures.
Phoenix saw a thermometer-shattering 113 consecutive days at or above 100 degrees and 70 days surpassing the 110-degree mark in 2024, the umbrage of the desert sun casting long shadows on the concept of relief but despite this surge in heat, a strategic response plan led to a 20 percent decrease in heat-related 911 calls and a long-awaited dip in heat-related fatalities - the first in a decade. It’s a statistic that David Hondula, Director of the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, finds encouraging, stating, “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."
Key among the initiatives for the upcoming scorching months is the launch of a new 24-hour respite center at 20 W. Jackson Street, strategically located for accessible relief to pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit users, which will double as a hub to navigate people experiencing homelessness to resources and transport to shelters. Three Phoenix libraries – Cholla, Harmon, and Yucca – will also extend their hours as cooling oases into the late evening, and all centers, plus additional sites, will dole out water and heat relief supplies.
The city has fostered partnerships like the one with the American Red Cross, aiming to offer preemptive safety info and resources to vulnerable mobile home communities. The Parks and Recreation Department, along with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), will offer weekend heat safety education and cold water at hiking hotspots like Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak, and South Mountain from May to the end of September. "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," according to Brian Lee, Director of the Office of Emergency Management, which will help them to enhance the City's capacity to provide heat relief and resources.
The policy session has set into motion the final stretch of refinements for the Heat Response Plan, which is anticipated to be finalized and accessible in the coming weeks, with the operational phase set to commence on May 1.
