Cooling center

A cooling center is an air-conditioned public space set up by local authorities to temporarily deal with the health effects of extreme heat weather conditions, like the ones caused by heat waves.[1] Cooling centers are meant to prevent hyperthermia caused by heat, humidity, and poor air quality.[2] Cooling centers provide shade, water, and restrooms; medical attention and referrals to social services may also be offered. Their services are aimed at the homeless, those without access to adequate air conditioning and at-risk populations such as the elderly, children and those with mental disability or chronic medical conditions.[2][3][4][5]

As the danger of heat waves has risen in the public consciousness, cooling centers are increasingly used in larger cities such as Los Angeles,[1] New York City,[6] Chicago,[3] Boston,[7] and Toronto,[8][9] as well as less urban population areas.[2][10] Cooling centers may also be used in places like Portland and Seattle where home air conditioning is rare but summer can bring temperatures exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) for several days.[11][12] Similarly, during the 2018 European heat wave and fires that reached northern Scandinavia, a supermarket in Finland was temporarily used as a cooling center.[13]

In general, cooling centers are implemented and operated by a variety of local actors such as municipalities, fire departments, county agencies, and non-profit organizations.[14] They are usually sited at multiple locations throughout a municipality, such as public libraries, community centers, senior centers, and police stations.[2][3][7] Another health measure sometimes taken during heat waves is to extend operational hours at public beaches and swimming pools.[7][15]

As various studies have projected more intense, more frequent, and longer-lasting heat waves in the future, many state and federal governments in the US would be including cooling centers as part of their heat adaptation strategy and warning system.[14]