Starting this week, over 100 digital billboards across the Valley will display crucial local heat relief resources as part of a collaborative effort between Maricopa County, Clear Channel Outdoor, the Maricopa Association of Governments, and the City of Phoenix. These billboards, owned by Clear Channel Outdoor, will promote the 211 Arizona service, directing at-risk community members to more than 230 local heat relief sites designed to help them stay cool during Arizona’s dangerous late spring and summer heat.
“Working with our partners, we’ve expanded hours at life-saving cooling centers across the region. Now, we need as many people as possible to know about this resource,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers, District 1. “Clear Channel Outdoor understood the importance of this messaging—how it could save lives—and generously offered to share heat relief resources on their digital billboards at no cost.”
In 2023, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) reported a record-breaking 645 heat-associated deaths, a significant increase from the previous year. This digital billboard campaign aims to combat this alarming trend by promoting the free, 24-hour 211 information service, which assists people experiencing heat emergencies. MCDPH has also funded expanded capacity at the bilingual call center to help connect residents to cooling and respite centers, utility assistance, and A/C repair and replacement during the 2024 heat season.
“Every one of us in Maricopa County, and the surrounding area, is affected by this extreme heat,” said Diane Veres, regional vice president of Clear Channel Outdoor Southwest & Midwest. “And every one of us wants to prevent a summer like 2023. We know thousands of Maricopa County residents and visitors see our billboards daily, and it is our hope that those in need will respond to these messages by calling 211 for assistance.”
MCDPH research identified the biggest barriers to using cooling centers in 2023 as:
– Not knowing they exist
– Lack of transportation to cooling centers
– Not knowing where cooling centers are located
To address these barriers, Maricopa County has partnered with the City of Phoenix to place branded street signs outside all cooling centers, some of which are now open on weekends.
“Providing extended hour and overnight respite opportunities is just one of the many ways the City of Phoenix is stepping up to protect our residents during these extreme heat days and months,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “We are proud to partner with MAG, Clear Channel Outdoor, and Maricopa County to ensure more people—including our most vulnerable—know how to get the help they need to stay safe.”
This new digital billboard campaign with Clear Channel Outdoor will expand awareness further, alerting residents and visitors across Maricopa County to real-time temperatures and available resources.
For information on heat illnesses and prevention, visit Maricopa.gov/heat.
For real-time heat data, visit the new MCDPH dashboard.
