LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The city of Los Angeles Wednesday launched its Heat Relief 4 LA Campaign 2023 in conjunction with this Friday's National Heat Awareness Day.
Through the campaign and accompanying Heat 4 LA tool kit, officials intend to raise awareness of the health hazards related to excessive heat and to offer resources to stay cool during a prolonged heat event.
"Extreme heat is the most serious climate threat we face in Los Angeles, and these conditions significantly impact people experiencing homelessness in cruel and preventable ways," Mayor Karen Bass said during a virtual news conference launching the campaign.
"Longer and hotter heat waves are becoming the new normal, and it's imperative that we take action to protect all Angelenos."
The city's Climate Emergency Mobilization Office will work to highlight steps to stay safe during prolonged heat events, Bass added, especially in disadvantaged areas.
Nationwide, 50% of those who die as a result of heat waves are people experiencing homelessness, according to a statement from the CEMO.
LA Chief Heat Officer and Director of the CEMO Marta Segura led city leaders in a panel discussion offering "life-saving" information.
"We need to take bold action for our new reality and take extreme heat seriously," Segura said. "We must address this climate justice issue with an understanding of the root causes of economic and health disparities, and a focus on long-term climate and heat adaptation."
Los Angeles may face increasingly severe heat episodes in the years ahead, she added, and it's critical for everyone to learn how to "cool themselves and family members," and support the "needs of vulnerable communities."
The goals of the campaign are to raise awareness of the issue, and communicate with Angelenos about steps the city has taken to address hotter seasons, such as by adding more bus shelters, installing cool pavement over asphalt, looking at ways to add more trees to neighborhoods that are "shade- deficient," adding more hydration stations, and opening more cooling centers throughout the city.
The CEMO has developed a network of more than 50 government agencies, universities, community organizations, environmental groups and businesses that will use the tool kit and share resources within those communities.
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