General
CORT
Warehouse Supervisor Construction
Komatsu Equipment Co
Mechanic Health Care
Rio Salado College
PA's/Online Instructors Education
Assessment Technology, Inc
Social Studies Content Writer General
CORT
WAREHOUSE/DRIVER

PHOENIX — City officials intend to create havens from the heat this summer, provide water and send outreach teams to find the homeless and provide medical care.

Thirty two people — most of them homeless — died of the heat that gripped the Phoenix metropolitan area last summer.

The National Weather Service is projecting a typically hot Arizona summer, with about 90 days of temperatures above 100 degrees and 10 or more days above 110.

"We've learned some important lessons from last year, and we'll be better prepared this year," said Phoenix City Councilman Greg Stanton, who is chairman of the Regional Continuum of Care, a Maricopa Association of Governments committee that deals with homelessness issues.

The city is working with 26 faith-based groups across the Phoenix metropolitan area to collect and distribute water bottles, provide a cool escape from the heat and check on elderly residents to make sure they're using cooling systems or can get to a cool place.

The plans kick in when the National Weather Service issues certain heat advisories, such as temperatures significantly exceeding the day's average.

"We're going to rely on the Weather Service to give us information, but common sense will prevail," said Marcus Aurelius, Phoenix's homeland- security coordinator.

"If we have conditions that we're not comfortable with, we're going to respond appropriately.

"It's more than just handing out water. It's education, reminders to the public to take care of themselves and check on their senior neighbors if they're vulnerable to the heat."

St. Mary's Food Bank has agreed to store a couple of thousand bottles of water for the city.

"We've got the space," said Ben Bradley, the food bank warehouse manager. "And if this is helping prevent death because of dehydration, that's huge."