Development and implementation of a Heat Alert and Response System in rural British Columbia

• Published in: Canadian journal of public health Vol. 113; no. 3; pp. 446 - 454
• Main Authors: Deegan, Heather E., Green, Jenny, El Kurdi, Sylvia, Allen, Michelle, Pollock, Sue L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: British Columbia; Climate adaptation; Climate change; Community organizations; Extreme Heat; Health promotion; Heat; Hot Temperature; Humans; Infrastructure; Innovations in Policy and Practice; Knowledge acquisition; Local government; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Public Health; Risk reduction; Rural areas; Rural communities; Rural Population; British Columbia; British Columbia Canada; Canada; Colombie-Britannique; Extreme heat; participation de la communauté; Community engagement; systèmes d’alerte et d’intervention à la chaleur; partenariat intersectoriel; Heat Alert and Response Systems; British Columbia; Public health practice; pratiques en santé publique; Chaleur extrême; Cross-sectoral partnership
• ISSN: 0008-4263; 1920-7476
• DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00611-1

Setting In 2018, a regional health authority in British Columbia (BC) initiated a multi-year project to support planning and response to extreme heat. Climate projections indicate that temperatures in the southern interior of BC will continue to increase, with concomitant negative impacts on human health. Successful climate change adaptation must include cross-sectoral action, inclusive of the health sector, to plan for and respond to climate-related events, including extreme heat. Intervention The objective of this project was to support the development and implementation of a Heat Alert and Response System (HARS) in a small, rural community. The health authority facilitated collaboration among provincial and local governments, community organizations, and First Nations partners to assess community assets, draft a plan for extreme heat, and prepare for a community-supported response during heat events. Outcomes Stakeholders expressed the importance of utilizing existing partnerships and community resources, such as physical and procedural infrastructure, in which to embed the HARS. It was imperative that the plan be simple, concise, and considerate of the community’s unique context. Educational materials and a tailored method of dissemination were important for collective and individual risk mitigation. Implications A community-driven approach that utilized existing assets allowed for integration of HARS within municipal response plans and established infrastructure. The result is a sustainable public health intervention that has the potential to mitigate the negative health effects of extreme heat. Knowledge acquired through this initiative is informing similar HARS planning processes in other rural BC communities.