Title
Heat Related Calls Update - Citywide
Description
This item provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee an overview of Phoenix’s 2026 heat season through the end of August, and the city’s coordinated response to extreme heat. It summarizes heat conditions and Fire Department response activity, the continued use and outcomes of cold-water immersion treatment, mountain rescue activity, and trail restrictions on extreme heat warning days.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
From May 1 through August 31, 2026, Phoenix experienced sustained extreme heat, with a mean temperature of 93.8°F, the third-highest on record for the period. The city recorded 98 days at or above 100°F and 39 days at or above 110°F. During this period, the Phoenix Fire Department responded to 1,744 heat-related calls for service, an increase of 158 calls compared with the same period in 2025.
The Fire Department continued to implement and expand the use of ice and cold-water immersion (CWI) for patients with critical heat illness. Developed in coordination with the Medical Services Division, the Department’s Medical Director, and hospital partners, CWI provides rapid prehospital cooling and has demonstrated measurable improvements in patient responsiveness, reductions in core body temperature, shorter hospital stays, less hospital care required, and overall improved patient outcomes. In partnership with the Parks and Recreation Department, ice machines were strategically placed at key trailheads to enable immediate cooling during mountain rescue incidents involving heat-related emergencies.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued 47 Extreme Heat Warning days in Phoenix, including an 18-day consecutive warning period. The City's Trail Heat Safety Program (THSP) is designed to promote safe trail use in mountain preserves during periods of extreme heat. The program restricts access to designated trails at Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak, and South Mountain from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on NWS-issued Extreme Heat Warning days. From May through August, 12 patients were rescued from mountain preserves on warning days, including six on or near restricted trails.
Heat-prevention efforts were coordinated among the Parks and Recreation Department, Volunteer Phoenix, the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, the Phoenix Fire Department, and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). From May 1 through August 31, more than 176 Park Stewards contributed 507 volunteer hours and reached 11,289 people at busy trailheads. Park Stewards distributed 13,384 water bottles, 8,161 electrolyte packages, and 342 cooling towels, while CERT volunteers distributed an additional 4,124 water bottles.
Public education and outreach complemented these response and prevention efforts through community events, schools, city communications, social and news media, and the Heat Relief Network. During the reporting period, Phoenix Fire participated in 123 community events, reached approximately 26,600 people, and provided support for 134 media interviews.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays, Deputy City Manager David Mathews, and the Phoenix Fire and Parks and Recreation Departments.