Overview:

Summary: Creating a heat emergency response plan can help governments anticipate heat waves and minimize loss of life. A heat emergency response plan will identify vulnerable populations, set standards to forecast and categorize heat waves, and identify roles and responsibilities for different stakeholders during high-heat events.

Implementation: Coordinate with local, regional, state/provincial, and/or national entities to prepare a heat emergency response plan.

Considerations for Use: Emergency response plans should be regularly tested and updated. Preventative and emergency communication plans and materials should be included.

• Policy Levers:
  
  
  CommitmentGovernments set ambitious goals or targets to guide prioritization and investment.
• Trigger Points:
  
  
  City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
  Preparatory measures (actions to establish authority to act)Actions to establish/ ensure the authority to act when appropriate trigger-points occur.
• Intervention Type:
  Planning/Policy
• Sectors:
  Disaster Risk Management  , Informal Settlements, Public Health

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Heat-vulnerable communities, Residents
• Phase of Impact:
  Emergency response and management
• Metrics:
  Reduction in heat-related deaths

Case Studies:

• Paris Resilience Strategy (UC Berkeley, Pg 34)
• State of Oregon Excessive Heat After-Action Review
• France National Heatwave Plan (UC Berkeley, Pg. 33)

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  City, Region, State/Province
• Authority and Governance:
  City government, National government, State/provincial government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Short-term (1-2 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  CBOs, City government, Industry, National government, Property owners and managers, Public, State/provincial government
• Funding Sources:
  Public investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High, Medium

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Low
• Public Good:
  High
• GHG Reduction:
  N/A
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  N/A
• Co-benefits (Social):
  Build community capacity, Build social cohesion, Improve human health