Phoenix heat strategy is getting attention after Maricopa County, Arizona, lowered heat-related deaths from a high point in 2023, even as punishing temperatures continue to grip the region. Officials and researchers say the county’s approach could serve as a model for other places facing more dangerous summers.
Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, sits in one of the hottest parts of the United States. In response, local leaders have spent years building programs aimed at keeping people alive during extreme heat. Those efforts include access to cooling centers, expanded hours at those sites, and help for eligible residents who need repairs or replacements for air conditioning systems. Some cooling spaces are now open around the clock.
The county’s focus has been on residents most at risk, including people with low incomes and those experiencing homelessness. Officials say the work is not new to them, but the scale of the problem has grown. Phoenix became the first city in the world to hire a heat officer in 2021, a move intended to improve coordination and communication across government offices. Maricopa County’s chief medical officer, Nicholas Staab, said the city has long known heat would be a recurring threat, but that it is becoming more predictable in communities around the globe.
