Kate Gallego: Other cities need to ‘step up’ to prevent heat deaths

Phoenix officials touted the this summer’s heat mitigation efforts as a success. But, after hundreds of people died of heat-related illnesses, officials acknowledged that “one heat death is too many” and admitted that the city’s efforts weren’t successful enough.

To improve things, they say, other government agencies in Maricopa County and the state need to step up and help out.

This progress was shared at a media event last week. “We had a record-setting number of records this year when it came to our summer heat,” said David Hondula, the director of Phoenix’s Office of Heat Response and Mitigation. “I'm very confident there’s been a significant and positive public health impact from this work. Lives were saved, and lives were changed.”

The summer was particularly brutal. Phoenix endured 70 days of 110-plus-degree weather, smashing last year’s record by 15 days, according to the National Weather Service. The Valley also saw 142 triple-digit degree days, which is only three shy of the record set in 2020. On Saturday, the city experienced its last 100-degree day, just 24 hours shy of the 2016 record for the final recorded 100-degree day of the season.

Phoenix does not track the number of heat-related deaths that occur within city limits. That data is collected by Maricopa County. According to the county’s heat dashboard, 40 fewer people have died from heat in Maricopa County this year compared with the same time last year. However, heat death totals remain high, and many heat deaths are still under investigation.

So far this year, 429 people have died from heat-related illnesses, while another 241 deaths are being investigated for heat-related causes. Nearly half of those undetermined deaths were among unhoused people. In 2023, 645 people in the county died from heat, setting a record for the most heat-related deaths in a single year.

According to a report shared by the city, Phoenix saw a “notable” 20% reduction in heat-related emergency calls this summer compared with last year. That reduction in calls stemmed from heat-mitigation programs introduced this year —  specifically increasing the availability of cooling centers and hydration supplies.

“Frankly, I’m so proud of this report,” said Assistant Phoenix Fire Chief Tim Kreis.

Phoenix opened more cooling centers in 2024, extending their hours later into the day and including an overnight center at Burton Barr Central Library. According to Rachel Milne, director of the city’s Office of Homelessness Solutions, 92% of visitors to the enhanced sites with longer hours self-reported experiencing homelessness.

Milne’s office played a large role in heat response this year. The city reported that homelessness solutions navigators helped almost 900 individuals in Phoenix cooling centers access services, including housing, shelter treatment programs, safe outdoor spaces and even reconnections with family. About 18% of those helped were parents and their minor children, and the city said Milne’s office helped 92 kids find a “place to sleep, access those resources and the services they need to start ending their homelessness.”

The city also distributed a million water bottles and other hydration supplies to community members in need.

Yet, as heat deaths remain high across the Valley, Phoenix city officials called on other agencies and governmental bodies to provide much-needed assistance. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said the state’s largest city feels it is “doing the lion’s share of the difficult work.”

“We can save more lives if more levels of government step up,” Gallego said, adding that she hopes the state plays a bigger role in heat mitigation. “Heat does not end at Phoenix’s municipal boundaries, so we need other cities to step up.”