High temperatures will not let up any time soon.
Both the American Red Cross and the City of Tucson checked in with Westside neighborhoods on Wednesday, June 11, to discuss heat-related resources.
Last year, there were 146 heat-related deaths in the county.
The Westside area, off Starr Pass and Greasewood, was chosen for canvassing because of the high number of manufactured homes or mobile homes.
Courtney Slanaker with the American Red Cross says these types of homes can face challenges with staying cool during the summer.
“We know that mobile homes and some manufactured homes will have some challenges during the summer with staying cool and their insulation," Slanaker said. "So we want to make sure that those residents have that vital safety information when we do have those extreme heat days."
Data from the county shows that about 60% of people who had heat-related deaths were 60 years or older.
The Fred Archer Center, right next to Cholla High School, is the new designated cooling center for Ward 1, replacing the El Rio Center, which is closer to the freeway.
“This is one of those areas that is very far away from a lot of different amenities, especially for such a high concentration of older folks," Garcia said. "This is one of the best case scenarios now adding here to the Fred Archer Center because it's so near--it's so close by to a lot of people.”
Ward 1 Council member Lane Santa Cruz stressed the importance of these conversations, adding that this area has high amounts of 911 heat-related calls.
“A lot of times, traditional methods for reaching people is a little more challenging in mobile home communities," said Council member Santa Cruz. "And so, it's important for us to take that extra step and knock on doors and make sure that we're getting in front of people not only to build trust, but to get the information in front of them."
More information on the new designated cooling center can be found on the City of Tucson's website.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
