The Heat Relief Network is a regional partnership of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), municipalities, nonprofit organizations, the faith-based community, and businesses. Each year, MAG coordinates the mapping of the Heat Relief Network, a network of partners providing hydration stations, refuge locations, and water donation sites throughout the Valley with the goal of preventing heat-related illnesses and deaths among vulnerable populations.
Click the links below to understand why our Heat Relief Network partners participate in the program and how it impacts their communities.
For more information about how you can avoid a heat-related illness, go to the Arizona Department of Health Services website.
Partnering with MAG during the summer months gives you and your agency the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable populations such as older adults, economically challenged residents, individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness and individuals with disabilities.
Partner roles can include providing cooling centers, hydration stations and donation collection points, or a combination of these services. It is the partner’s responsibility to ensure you have water available if you deem yourself as a cooling center and/or a hydration station location. MAG is unable to store or transport water. Please utilize the MAG Interactive Heat Relief Map to coordinate with other network partners for donations of water. We can offer assistance with navigating the interactive map when needed. There are many donation sites across the region that are willing to share donations they receive with network partners. Partners should consider participating in the Cooling Center Response Network, a decentralized donation network connecting cooling center providers with donors. We truly appreciate your partnership, together we are making a difference!
Help the public get to your Heat Relief location with identifying signage that can be placed at the entrance or used for directional navigation.
The goal of the Heat Relief Network is help prevent heat-related deaths. We work each year to expand the network throughout the region so that vulnerable populations are never far from obtaining water or refuge from the heat. The Heat Relief Network aims to:
Once signed up as a location offering heat relief, the partnering agency is responsible for coordinating with other organizations to obtain, distribute, transport or store water and/or other donations. Cooling centers and hydration stations in need of bottled water are encouraged to utilize the Heat Relief Network map and directories to contact network partners for water donations. Heat Relief Network partners are responsible for keeping their information up-to-date with the Heat Relief Network throughout the summer.
Agencies or organizations wishing to become a Heat Relief Network partner are invited to complete a submission form for each location offering heat relief. Only public or nonprofit locations will be accepted and shown on the map/directories. Private residences will not be accepted. Once the submission form is submitted and approved, your location will be added to the interactive map and printable directory.
Additional Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Weekly Heat Surveillance Reports
Yearly Heat Mortality Reports
According to USClimateData.com, the average temperatures in the region during the summer months are: May: 95 degrees June: 104 degrees July: 106 degrees August: 104 degrees September: 100 degrees.
Data courtesy of Maricopa County Public Health Department
Arizona Department of Health – Heat Safety
Maricopa County Public Health Department – Extreme Heat
National Weather Service Heat Information Page
2-1-1 Arizona - Can assist in locating and finding transportation to nearest Heat Relief location.
Limited Income Assistance Programs (APS) (SRP)
Pet Housing Help - Locate temporary housing for pets
Get e-mail updates! / Learn More
In an effort to make information delivery faster, MAG has implemented an e-mail notification system that will make it easier to receive documents such as agendas, minutes and reports. Through a free subscription service called GovDelivery, MAG member agencies and the public will have better access to information that is posted on the MAG Web site.
The subscription service monitors specific Web pages for changes, and when a change is detected, the service sends an e-mail to subscribers notifying them of the change. Users can choose to subscribe to as many of the pages as they wish. There are about 130 monitored pages on the MAG Web site.
As a subscriber, you can choose not only what information you receive, you can also choose how often you receive it—immediately, daily, or weekly.
To subscribe, simply click on the link on the page that says “Sign up to receive email updates.” Users can also click on a Quick Subscribe link on various pages to see a full list and subscribe to any of the MAG pages. To subscribe, only a few pieces of information will be required, such as e-mail address, delivery preferences and organization.
Look for the red envelope icon on pages of interest.