Challenge

Extreme heat is a growing public health threat in Austin, particularly for communities that experience higher social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities. Heat-related illness is preventable, yet each year residents face increased risk due to lack of awareness, limited access to cooling resources, and barriers to preparedness. 

To address this challenge, Austin Public Health sought to strengthen community understanding of heat impacts on health while also improving coordination among staff, partner organizations, and community health workers. There was also a need to better understand how residents use cooling centers and other heat relief resources during extreme heat events. 

In addition, frontline staff and partners needed consistent, practical knowledge to confidently communicate heat safety information to the public. This gap in awareness and coordination highlighted the need for a community-centered, education-driven approach that could both distribute resources and improve engagement with heat resilience strategies. 

Solution

Austin Public Health piloted “Keep Austin Cool Day” on May 2 as a community heat safety initiative in partnership with city and county agencies and cross-sector partners. The event was held at three sites selected based on vulnerability and community need: two outdoor parks in higher-risk neighborhoods and one indoor senior center. 

The initiative included a heat safety training offered twice prior to the event. Staff, partner organizations, and community health workers were encouraged to attend to build confidence in communicating heat health risks. Participants received non-certified continuing education units (CEUs). The Austin Public Health Climate and Health Committee and the Austin/ Travis County Medical Reserve Corps also participated in the training and supported preparation of cooling kits. 

Cooling kits included cooling towels, cold packs, electrolyte packets, hand fans, hats, insect repellent, hand sanitizer, hygiene kits, and educational materials on heat safety. During the event, kits and educational resources were distributed to community members. 

Day-of partners included Austin Climate Action and Resilience, Austin Energy, Travis County Office of Emergency Management, and the University of Texas, who were present on-site at the event locations to support direct community engagement through tabling and the distribution of emergency preparedness information, utility assistance resources, and heat-related tools and education. 

Results

The Keep Austin Cool Day pilot was a success, reaching community members across three locations and strengthening partnerships across city, county, and academic organizations. A total of 127 cooling kits were distributed to community members. 

The event also launched a cooling center assessment survey designed to better understand how community members use cooling centers and other heat relief resources during extreme heat. This data will help inform future improvements to cooling strategies and service delivery. The survey will continue to be distributed throughout the summer at libraries, parks and recreation sites, and through partner networks. 

The initiative also demonstrated strong interagency collaboration, with partners actively engaging community members and sharing resources related to emergency preparedness, utility assistance programs, and heat resilience tools. 

Opportunities for improvement include identifying higher-traffic park locations and considering alignment with larger community events to increase reach and participation in future years. 

Funding for the cooling kits was supported through the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) grant, remaining Medical Reserve Corps STTRONG funds, and City of Austin general fund resources. 

Lessons Learned

The pilot highlighted the importance of combining education, outreach, and resource distribution in addressing heat-related health risks. Providing pre-event training helped ensure that staff and partners were prepared to confidently communicate heat safety information, strengthening the overall impact of the initiative. 

Partnerships were essential to the success of the event. Collaboration with parks, climate resilience staff, emergency management, utilities, and academic partners helped expand both reach and credibility of messaging. 

The distribution of cooling kits proved to be a highly effective engagement tool, serving as both an immediate resource and an entry point for broader education on heat safety. 

Key lessons learned include the importance of selecting high-traffic or community-centered locations to maximize participation and the value of aligning future events with existing community gatherings. Expanding outreach strategies will also be critical for increasing awareness and participation in the cooling center assessment survey. 

Overall, Keep Austin Cool Day demonstrated that proactive, community-based heat preparedness efforts can strengthen resilience and reduce the risk of heat-related illness. Moving forward, the initiative provides a scalable model for replication and expansion, with opportunities to strengthen cross-sector engagement, optimize outreach strategies, and institutionalize heat safety training for use across summer heat initiatives and future program cycles.

For More Information, Visit: 

• City of Austin – Learn How to Stay Safe in Extreme Heat at Citywide Keep Austin Cool Day Events Press Release: 
  Learn How to Stay Safe in Extreme Heat at Citywide Keep Austin Cool Day Events | AustinTexas.gov 

• Ready Central Texas – Heat Awareness: Heat Awareness | Ready Central Texas | AustinTexas.gov 

• City of Austin -  Active Emergency Information Hub – Cooling Center locations: Heat Awareness | Ready Central Texas | AustinTexas.gov 

Contact Information 

Name: Ana Urueta 

Email: [email protected] 

Phone number: 512-572-5072 

Local health department: Austin Public Health 

State: Texas