Heat Awareness Week for City of Tucson and Pima County
In anticipation of the upcoming heat season, the City of Tucson and Pima County designated the second week of May as Heat Awareness Week. But, of course, preparing and learning about the dangers of heat is critical at any point in Tucson. Leading up to our 2024 summer, the Climate Action Team is focused on taking action to prepare for and respond to extreme heat.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy aimed at enhancing public awareness and response to extreme heat. Tucson is among the fastest-warming cities in the United States. Extreme heat conditions pose significant health risks, increase mortality rates, and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, the unhoused, outdoor workers, and those with preexisting health conditions.
"The City of Tucson is actively drafting a heat protection ordinance, a heat action roadmap, and upgrading infrastructure to prevent heat illnesses and provide heat relief for all residents and City workers," said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. "Our collective efforts today will increase our ability to mitigate and manage extreme heat, building resilience for the future."
 Mayor and Council passed Resolution 23761 at the May 7th Council Meeting declaring the second week in May Heat Awareness Week. This local action stands along similar actions taken by Pima County and Governor's Office stressing the danger extreme heat poses to our communities. Extreme heat continues to be the leading cause of weather-related deaths in Arizona. In 2023 extreme heat caused thousands of heat-related injuries and 176 heat-related deaths in Pima County, leading to increased utilization of healthcare services, including emergency department visits and emergency medical services activations.
Extreme heat disproportionately affects our most vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, people of color, individuals experiencing homelessness, individuals of low-income, and those with heart disease, diabetes, respiratory illness, and other health conditions that make them particularly susceptible to heat. Climate change and urban heat stress fuel increasing heat risks, the summer of 2023 set the record for the most 110-plus-degree days in a year, and Pima County is projected to experience 160 days per year of temperatures at or above 90°F by 2035.
 Keeping cool https://tucson.com/entertainment/movies/pool-deck-concerts-to-splash-pads-heres-where-to-keep-cool-in-tucson/article_54b68fd2-d55b-11ec-8989-5f37cb59a31d.html
The Climate Action Team and our Chief Resilience Officer are creating and implementing the City's first ever Heat Action Plan that provides a comprehensive heat response in alignment with state initiatives and increases public awareness regarding the dangers of extreme heat. Alongside the Action Plan, the Chief Resilience Officer is working closely with staff and experts in the field to bring a Heat Protection Ordinance before Mayor and Council ahead of the beginning of summer in Tucson that will address extreme heat risks born by City workers.
In addition to local efforts, Tucson is advocating for federal recognition of extreme heat as a "major disaster" under the Stafford Act, which could unlock essential funds for state, tribal, and local governments to prepare for and respond to these critical conditions.
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