ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Sunny and 75 degrees is Albuquerque’s sweet spot, but New Mexicans know it won’t stay that way for long. 

The Bernalillo County Health Equity Council has been planning for extreme heat for months, coming up with a plan to make sure everyone stays safe.

“Once the temperature starts to climb, you know, people are more vulnerable to the elements,” said Janus Herrera, health promotion specialist with the Health Equity Council. 

Herrera focuses on addressing issues in the public health system. 

“We really try to look, you know, across the county at what geographies, what demographics, are impacted most heavily by different health issues,” said Herrera. 

She’s familiar with the challenges in the First Street corridor near several vital services for the homeless.

“It could be in an open lot. It could be, you know, on a sidewalk. But you see people outside all day, rain or shine or hail or any kind of weather condition that you can think of,” Herrera said. 

In the extreme heat of the summer, she wants to see more options. Herrera says the city’s Operation Cool Down last summer was a good start with splash pads, sprinklers, and cooling centers, but expansion is important. 

“I’d love to see more splash pads or sprinklers turned on. And I’d love to see, you know, the cooling centers that we have be resourced with things like water, you know, maybe cooling towels, snacks,” said Herrera. 

Albuquerque Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Matthew Whelan, says that’s already part of the plan for this summer.

“If it’s a hotter summer than last summer, we may have to expand our resources more. If it’s a cooler summer, we may not need as many resources,” said Whelan. 

The Health Equity Council came up with a list of recommendations for extreme heat. It includes a better notification system, and better infrastructure for cooling centers. 

“We’ll address needs based on the facility and what’s needed in that area, and based on use and how much it’s used,” said Whelan. “I think there are always ways we can do things better. And I think that’s one thing that we do when we do an operation like Operation cooldown, we see what we did, and we take it, we expand it.”

Albuquerque’s Health Housing and Homelessness Department is asking for heat-related donations now. For example, sunscreen, water, and cooling cloths. If you would like to help and donate, click here.