Page 40 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

39 Visitors to the Cool Spots LA app can find the cooling centers across the region. times the number of hospitalizations and premature deaths than areas with a greener, more climate-adapted infrastructure." Showing Where Residents Can Take Respite from Extreme Heat During the heat dome event, local emergency departments had an additional 1,500 patients per day. According to the Center for Public Health and Disasters at the University of California, Los Angeles, 40 heat-related deaths were occurring daily by the fifth day of the heat wave. "As the city's chief heat officer, I knew we had to act quickly to convey information about the city resources that could be a refuge from the heat to our communities," Segura said. With Segura's vision and support, the city launched Cool Spots LA, a web application showing residents where they can cool off during heat waves. This is the first of many resources Segura is mandated to create as she develops the city's Heat Action Plan and Climate Vulnerability Assessment, which will prioritize extreme heat response. The app uses GIS technology in a single interactive directory to display more than 200 cooling centers. In the app, residents can add an address, cross streets, or a landmark or enable the app to use their current location to begin their search. In addition, the app includes a map with colorful icons to indicate specific types of cool spots such as hydration stations, recreation centers, public pools, and libraries. To populate the map, Segura gathered data from the city's departments of emergency management, public works, water and power, recreation and parks, as well as public libraries. Segura, in addition to being chief heat officer, leads the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office. She coordinated support from Eva Pereira, the city's chief data officer on the mayor's data team, who used GIS to design and build the web app. "This is how constituents expect city leaders to lead—we must cocreate and codesign services and projects—seamlessly," Segura said.