Climate change is causing more frequent and intense heat waves. Heat can be deadly, but all heat deaths are preventable. These resources are just some of the ways the city and its key partners are working to protect the health of all New Yorkers.
Are you a community-based organization looking to build social resilience to withstand and emerge stronger from climate-related emergencies? Download the NYC Climate, Health, and Social Resilience Communications Toolkit, created in partnership between the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice.
- NotifyNYC, New York City’s dedicated emergency public communications program, uses e-mails, text messages, tweets, and phone calls to quickly provide residents with localized emergency information. Enroll in Notify NYC.
- The Home Energy Assistance Program helps eligible New Yorkers receive free air conditioners during the summer months. Applications typically open around May each year.
- New York City Emergency Management’s Community Emergency Planning toolkit is full of guidance community-based and faith-based organizations can use before, during, and after disasters, as well as other resources.
- The Cool Options NYC map allows you to look up cooling center locations as well as other air-conditioned spaces, and find places with water features, drinking fountains, and trees where you can get relief outdoors using NYC Parks’ Cool It! NYC map.
- The Heat Vulnerability Index is an important resource that measures neighborhoods’ heat vulnerability using a score that includes social vulnerability indicators.
- The Fire Department allows community members to request spray caps for fire hydrants in their neighborhoods so they can cool off without wasting water (which can happen when they’re opened without spray caps).
- The EJNYC Mapping Tool allows anyone to use more than 100+ data layers to understand the different environmental and climate burdens affecting New York City neighborhoods.
- Learn more about Hot Weather and Your Health with information from DOHM about who is at risk, how to recognize heat illness, and how to stay safe.
- An important part of building social resilience is advocating for the needs of your community members. Don’t forget to reach out to your elected officials about indoor or outdoor cooling, or anything else!