Emergency Heat Measures to Protect New Yorkers During Historic Holiday Weekend Heat Wave

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

Additional cooling centers, intensified outreach and extended pool hours will help New Yorkers stay safe as temperatures may feel as hot as 112 degrees  

New actions build on Monday’s announcement of 21 COOL vans, cooling stations for outdoor workers and expanded protections for workers during extreme heat   

As a historic heat wave begins today and continues into the holiday weekend, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today released a new video PSA urging every New Yorker to make a heat plan, check on neighbors and loved ones and take advantage of the resources available across all five boroughs.  

The Mayor convened leaders across City government yesterday to announce additional emergency measures to protect New Yorkers. Building on Monday’s unprecedented Heat Emergency Plan, the Mamdani administration is expanding cooling centers, extending outdoor pool hours, increasing outreach to vulnerable New Yorkers and taking additional steps to keep people safe in temperatures that may feel as hot as 112 degrees.   

Additional actions to provide New Yorkers relief include:  

• Extending hours at Olympic- and intermediate-sized outdoor pools until 8:30 p.m., even later than prior heat wave extensions.  
• Opening eight additional City buildings as cooling centers from noon through midnight July 3-5.  
• Opening 10 additional public library branches as cooling centers through the holiday weekend.  
• Expanding outreach by adding 150 volunteers, bringing the City’s total street outreach workforce to more than 600 people.   
• Asking all businesses to set thermostats to 78 degrees and encouraging all New Yorkers to conserve energy during peak demand.  

These steps build on Monday’s measures, including:  

• Mobilizing 21 Cooling Outreach On-Location (COOL) vans to support New Yorkers in need and perform in-home wellness checks on older adults.  
• Opening additional cooling centers and real-time cooling center wayfinding on thousands of LinkNYC kiosks.  
• Creating pop-up cooling stations for outdoor workers and large-scale outreach to over 75,000 businesses to ensure workers are safe and protected during the heat.  

Activating Cooling Centers and Cool Options  

Today, the City will activate hundreds of cooling centers to provide free, public air-conditioned spaces to New Yorkers. Locations, including accessible and pet-friendly options, can be found at finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenters/ or by calling 311. Service animals are always allowed.  

In response to the historic, sustained heat and holiday weekend, Mayor Mamdani is converting additional locations to cooling centers from July 3 through July 5, including:  

• Four Brooklyn Public Library branches: Central Library; Brighton Beach Library; Saratoga Library; Sunset Park Library.  
• Three additional New York Public Library branches: Grand Concourse Library in the Bronx; Countee Cullen Library in Manhattan; Port Richmond Library on Staten Island.  
• Three Queens Public Library branches: Central Library; Jackson Heights; Far Rockaway.  
• Eight additional DCAS facilities: The David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, 22 Reade Street and 100 Gold Senior Center in Manhattan; Brooklyn Borough Hall and NYCEM Headquarters in Brooklyn; The Bergen Building in the Bronx; Queens Borough Hall in Queens; and Staten Island Borough Hall on Staten Island.  
• Three Neighborhood Health Action Centers.  
• The Javits Center.  

Mayor Mamdani has also activated more than 2,200 LinkNYC kiosks to display real-time walking directions to the nearest NYC Cooling Center within a 10-minute walk. The initiative builds on the success of last winter’s warming center campaign — the largest public service initiative in LinkNYC’s 10-year history — by adding automated data integration and real-time updates to provide faster, more accurate guidance when New Yorkers need it most.  

New Yorkers can find additional relief at outdoor cool options like spray showers by visiting on.nyc.gov/CoolItNYC.   

The City’s roughly 50 outdoor pools are free and open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. During the heat emergency, Olympic- and intermediate-sized pools will be open until 8:30 p.m. — a half hour longer than prior heat wave extensions and 1.5 hours later than normal operating days.  

Public beaches are free and open daily with lifeguards on duty between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Swimming in restricted areas or when a lifeguard is not on duty is prohibited and very dangerous.  

Local firehouses will distribute free spray caps to adults 18 and older to turn fire hydrants into sprinklers.  

Deploying COOL Vans & Performing In-Home Wellness Checks for Older Adults  

Mayor Mamdani is launching 21 COOL vans to provide New Yorkers with wellness checks; medical care; resources like electrolytes and sunscreen; meals including vegetarian, kosher and halal options; and transport to cooling centers or healthcare facilities. COOL vans are operated by NYC Health + Hospitals and staffed by medical providers who will also be checking in on older adults in their homes to provide them with relief from the heat.  

Intensifying Street Outreach  

The City will intensify street canvassing and outreach under Code Red from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. during all heat advisory days to connect homeless neighbors to shelter, cooling centers and essential supplies.    

Using years of data from outreach from 311 and from the HOPE Count, the Department of Social Services (DSS) has broken the city into zones that are walkable or drivable in a shift. For the historic heat wave, DSS has added an additional 150 volunteers for a total of over 600 outreach workers.  

Shelter is available system-wide to anyone experiencing homelessness, and walk-ins are welcome.    

Anyone who sees a person experiencing homelessness who may need assistance is encouraged to call 311.   

Safeguarding Workers’ Health and Safety  

The City is deploying pop-up outdoor cooling stations with water, misting fans and cooling towels for outdoor workers including street vendors, deliveristas and day laborers. The initiative expands last year’s pilot of two pop-up cooling stations to seven through partnerships with community-based organizations.   

The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) as well as the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) are contacting more than 75,000 businesses to encourage heat illness plans and remind workers that they can use Protected Time Off for heat-related health issues.   

Protecting Energy Grid Reliability  

The City is asking every business and every New Yorker to do their part in protecting energy grid reliability by setting their thermostats to 78 degrees and holding off on running major appliances until early morning or late at night. The City has also worked with the Times Square Alliance to request sign operators to lower energy consumption by reducing brightness.  

Health and Safety Guidance  

New Yorkers are urged to stay hydrated, limit outdoor activity during peak heat hours and seek air-conditioned spaces whenever possible.  

Residents should check on vulnerable neighbors — especially older adults, people with disabilities and people with chronic illnesses — and loved ones, recognize the warning signs of heat illness and help others who may be at greater risk.   

Call 911 immediately if you or someone you know has hot, dry skin, trouble breathing, rapid heartbeat, confusion, disorientation, dizziness, nausea or vomiting.   

Never leave children, adults or pets in cars.   

Stay informed by signing up for Notify NYC, the City’s free emergency communications program, by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692 and visiting nyc.gov/beattheheat for more health and safety guidance.