Protecting Vulnerable People from Health Impacts of Extreme Heat

The purpose of meeting with the hot weather response committee and the workshop was to collect feedback on the possible uses, benefits and limitations of the maps from the perspective of their organizations’ mandates and daily activities. [...] UnderstandingandPlanningforHeatinToronto Interventions to reduce the impacts of extreme heat can address the physical environment in the home and in the community, the social environment, provision of services or resources, or knowledge and perceptions. [...] The room was already equipped with table and chairs, a washroom and a kitchen, and by the end of the summer, the property manager purchased and installed two air-conditioners in the room. [...] Challenges associated with access and use of the cool room included insufficient time and resources to notify residents of the availability of the cool room and promote its use, apparent language barriers and poor communications systems within the buildings, and limited visibility of the room, as it was not along a regular route into and out of the building. [...] ExpandingCoolRoomProjectin2011 TPH will continue supporting implementation of a cool room in one of the TR pilot sites in 2011, and plans to consult with residents at the end of the summer to determine their perceptions of the benefits and feasibility of having a common cool space in their tower community.