As temperatures rise, help your community members follow heat safety methods

High temperatures are expected this weekend in Western Washington. DOH will send out a news release on heat safety by the end of this week. Feel free to share upcoming heat safety posts from DOH social media channels.

If you are running a cooling center and/or know of some in your community that are not listed on the 2-1-1 map, email DOH Office of Resiliency and Health Security Preparedness Content Strategist Emily O’Donnell-Pazderka.

Collection of resources, toolkits, and sample message on cooling centers below:

• Forecast, updates - Pendleton, Portland, Seattle, Spokane
• HeatRisk
• Watches, Warnings, Advisories
• Hot Weather Safety Toolkit
• Hot weather safety
• Ready.gov:
  • Extreme heat social media toolkit
  • Extreme heat graphics
• DOH: Extreme heat events & climate change
• Creating Safer Air Movement for Cooling with Consideration of COVID-19 (PDF)
• National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) federal collaboration on heat communication social media campaign for Heat Readiness, May 15-19

Sample messaging you can share on your social media channels about using 211 to locate available cooling centers.

• Sample message: 211 is a resource during the heat wave. It is a free, confidential community service and a one-stop connection to resources. 211 is ready to assist you in finding the help you need. Dial the three-digit number 2-1-1 on your phone or use the online search tool. If you are outside of Washington or have a problem dialing the number 2-1-1, dial 1-877-211-9274. TYY is available through dialing 7-1-1 and then 2-1-1.
  Washington 2-1-1
  https://bit.ly/WA211-Cooling-Centers