New 24/7 cooling center opens in downtown Phoenix
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Summer is just around the corner and Arizona’s Family got an inside look at the new 24/7 cooling center in the heart of downtown Phoenix. The city opened an always-open cooling center for the first time last year, but the new location will help more people.
The new center is on Jackson Street, between Central and First avenues, making it just blocks away from Chase Field and PHX Arena. It opened May 1 and is slated to close on Sept. 30 unless heat continues through October. “The number of people we lose to heat every year is too high,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said.
Tashekia Singletary spent her Tuesday in the new cooling center in downtown Phoenix to stay out of the rain. But if she’s in the same position in the next couple of weeks, she plans to come back for the summer as well. “It’s just a place that is secure,” she said. “It just makes me feel good that somebody cares enough to actually say, ‘Come in.’”
The new center is replacing the Burton Barr Library 24/7 cooling center off of Interstate 10 and Central Avenue, which acted as a 24/7 cooling center last year. Scott Hall, deputy director of Phoenix’s Office of Homeless Solutions, said the cooler center needed to be moved to keep more people cooler. “It’s conveniently located right downtown where there was a lot of heat-related illnesses in the past,” he said.
The building also includes an outdoor space with some turf for people to bring their pets. City leaders say sometimes people don’t utilize these services because they don’t feel like they can bring their dogs.
The building has ice and water for people coming in, but the main goal is to provide resources. “We have case management for people that need to find a place to stay. We have the connection to city resources. People who need AC repairs, things like that, we can connect them with other city resources,” Hall said.
While this building does not have beds and will not act as a shelter, there are separate rooms for women and families. Security will be present 24/7, and off-duty Phoenix Police officers will monitor the outer perimeter.
Last year was the first time in a decade that the number of heat-related deaths declined in Maricopa County. Officials said 602 people died from the heat last year, down from 645 people the year prior. The director of the Office of Emergency Management, Brian Lee, believes efforts like this are making a difference.
“The fire department did see a 20% overall reduction of those heat-related calls for service last year,” Lee said. “We also have nursing students from ASU that will be over here assisting and helping out.”
With thousands of people visiting the overnight cooling center last year, leaders hope people will use the heat resources to keep safe during the summer. “We’re thinking this location will serve a lot more people and more effectively,” Hall said.
For a map of where to stay cool and safe in the summer heat, click/tap here.
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