Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief
Starting this week, more than 100 digital billboards across Arizona will display critical local heat relief resources, thanks to a partnership between Maricopa County, Clear Channel Outdoor, the Maricopa Association of Governments and the City of Phoenix.
Billboards owned by Clear Channel Outdoor will promote 211 Arizona to direct at-risk community members to one of 230+ local heat relief sites that can help them stay cool during Arizona’s dangerous late spring and summer time heat.
“Working with our partners, we’ve expanded hours at life-saving cooling centers across the region. Now, we need as many people as possible to know about this resource,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers, District 1. “Clear Channel Outdoor understood the importance of this messaging—how it could save lives—and generously offered to share heat relief resources on their digital billboards at no cost.”
The Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) confirmed a record-breaking 645 heat-associated deaths in 2023, a significant increase from the previous year. The digital billboards will help combat this trend by promoting the free, 24-hour 211 information service that can assist people experiencing heat emergencies. MCDPH has funded expanded capacity at the bilingual call center to help connect residents to cooling and respite centers, utility assistance, and A/C repair and replacement during the 2024 heat season.
“Every one of us in Maricopa County, and the surrounding area, is affected by this extreme heat,” said Diane Veres, regional vice president, Clear Channel Outdoor Southwest & Midwest. “And every one of us wants to prevent a summer like 2023. We know thousands of Maricopa County residents and visitors see our billboards daily and it is our hope that those who are in need will respond to these messages by calling 211 for assistance.”
MCDPH research found the biggest barriers to using cooling centers in 2023 were:
- Not knowing they exist
- Lack of transportation to cooling centers
- Not knowing where cooling centers are located
To address this, Maricopa County partnered with City of Phoenix on branded street signs outside all cooling centers, some of which are now open on weekends, too.
“Providing extended hour and overnight respite opportunities is just one of the many ways the City of Phoenix is stepping up to protect our residents during these extreme heat days and months,” says Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “We are proud to partner with MAG, Clear Channel Outdoor, and Maricopa County to ensure more people—including our most vulnerable—know how to get the help they need to stay safe.”
This new digital billboard campaign with Clear Channel Outdoor will expand awareness further, alerting residents and visitors all over Maricopa County to real-time temperatures and the resources available.
For information on heat illnesses and prevention, visit Maricopa.gov/heat.
For real-time heat data, visit the new MCDPH dashboard.
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