Last month, the White House hosted its first Summit on Extreme Heat, bringing together over 100 participants from around the country and across government, including federal agencies and White House senior staff, alongside leaders representing many of the communities fighting on the front lines of extreme heat. Participants discussed lessons learned from this year’s extreme heat, as well as successful best practices to manage extreme heat. A new initiative, the Extreme Heat Call to Action, encourages governments, organizations, and communities to take proactive steps to protect against future heat events.
People with disabilities and older adults are disproportionately affected by extreme heat, and their exposure leads to a higher likelihood of experiencing severe health risks or death. To work toward addressing these issues, ACL collaborates with over two dozen federal agencies to enhance capacity, communication, and decision-making for building a heat-resilient nation in their continued partnership with the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS). This work upholds the NIHHIS mission to improve societal understanding of heat risks and develop science-based strategies to reduce heat-related illnesses and deaths.
The items below came out of the summit. There is an opportunity to comment on the items and share with your stakeholders:
- The White House is requesting feedback on the Community Heat Action Checklist, which provides communities with basic guidance for planning and responding to extreme heat, aligning with existing hazard mitigation processes and offering resources to identify risks and take proactive steps before and during heat events. This draft includes a 30-day public comment period ending October 15, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Please submit comments to heatchecklist@who.eop.gov.
- The White House is seeking examples of action items, present and planned, that respond to the Extreme Heat Call to Action. The survey requests information on steps that state, local, and tribal governments, as well as business and nonprofit organizations, are taking or are planning to take to protect communities from extreme heat in advance of the 2025 heat season. Responses are due by November 1, 2024.