Dangerous Heat Prompts Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust to Activate Emergency Excessive Heat Outreach

The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust is activating its extreme heat strategy today with a myriad of protective measures to help people experiencing homelessness manage excessively high temperatures. Now in its third year of coordinated efforts, the Trust continues to build on proven strategies to safeguard vulnerable residents. An Excessive Heat Advisory is issued when the National Weather Service determines Heat Index Values are forecast to reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for two hours or more.

In partnership with Miami-Dade County’s Office of Resilience and Miami-Dade’s Department of Emergency Management, the following measures are in place:

• Homeless outreach teams will be wearing Red Heat Alert T-shirts as a visual cue to unsheltered persons that temperatures have reached dangerous levels.
• Outreach teams will provide people experiencing homelessness with extreme heat supplies seeking to meet their immediate heat-related needs. Supplies include water, gaiters, cooling towels, ice packs, sunscreen, electrolytes, hats and other relief supplies.
• Vulnerable individuals are being directed to cooling center locations at libraries, community centers and parks. Homeless Trust-contracted providers like Miami Rescue Mission and Camillus House will extend hours to provide additional cooling center locations.
• Continuum of Care providers are trained by Miami-Dade County to recognize the signs of heat-related illnesses and access emergency services if clients exhibit symptoms of heat-related illnesses.

“The Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust and its Continuum of Care partners stand prepared to address the dangerous heat conditions expected not just today, but throughout the entire summer,” said Ron Book, chairman, Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. “Thanks to early collaboration with the Office of Resilience and Miami-Dade’s Department of Emergency Management, we are equipped for this season in the immediate, but we are calling on the community to step up and help us access more hydration options. Hydration plays a critical role in regulating body temperature and preventing life-threatening conditions like heatstroke and seizures, reducing the need for emergency service calls among unsheltered neighbors.”

As part of this year’s efforts, the Homeless Trust is asking the community to consider donating bulk items that can be distributed, and offered in conjunction with general support services, by trained homeless outreach workers.

Needed items include:

• face gaiters
• cooling towels
• individual electrolyte packets
• sunscreen
• cases of water
• feminine hygiene products

Donations may be dropped off through the Trust’s private partner, Chapman Partnership, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Locations are:

• Downtown Miami: 1550 N Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33136
• South Miami: 28205 SW 124th Ct, Homestead, FL 33033

Once received, items will be securely stored, sorted, packed and shared with Outreach Teams for pickup and distribution to unsheltered individuals.

Hydration plays a key role in regulating body temperature and preventing life-threatening conditions like heatstroke and seizures, reducing the need for emergency service calls among unsheltered neighbors. The excessive heat season runs from May 1 through October 31.