It’s record-breakingly hot out, folks — so hot that the city of Spokane has canceled some outdoor events like Riverfront Eats this week to protect the safety of visitors. And if it’s too hot for people to visit a food truck, it’s certainly too hot for our unhoused neighbors living on the streets of Spokane, who, along with seniors, are at the highest level of risk during heat waves.
Conditions are dangerous, but there are lots of ways you can show up to help make our community safer and cooler — and to stay safe yourself.
How you can help
Volunteer
CoolSpokane, a mutual aid group in Spokane, is seeking volunteers to pass out water and resources on the streets of downtown this week. You can fill out their volunteer form here. They’re also looking for businesses and people who are willing to host a pop-up cooling station. If you’re interested in doing that, or curious about what exactly it entails, you can email the group at coolspokane@gmail.com.
Donate items
If you can’t volunteer but are able to donate, multiple service providers are seeking donations of money and resources. Spokane Community Against Racism (SCAR) has been distributing water bottles and needs donations of bottled water. You can drop the water bottles off at the Wonder Building from 8 am to 9 pm, Sunday through Thursday, and from 8 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday. You can also email SCAR at admin@scarspokane.org with the subject line “Water Bottle Donation” to coordinate drop-off directly.
The city of Spokane is accepting donations through August of bottled water, Gatorade/Powerade, other caffeine-free hydration drinks, mini sunscreen products and single pack snacks for current and future extreme weather events. When it comes to Gatorade and hydration drinks, they prefer to receive the powdered version, as it goes further. If you want to donate, email Director of Emergency Management Sarah Nuss at snuss@spokanecity.org to arrange pick-up.
Because seniors are also deeply impacted by heatwaves, Meals on Wheels (MOW) is soliciting donations of new, unopened fans, which can be dropped off at 1222 W 2nd Avenue. You can buy MOW fans at its Amazon wishlist page or donate money for fans here.
Donate money
Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners and Gonzaga University’s Climate Institute are seeking donations for their cooling fund, which funds AC units and fans for low-income Spokane residents. You can donate to that fund here.
DIY
To care for your neighbors more directly, you can put out cold water and fresh fruit by the sidewalk with a sign inviting those in need to help themselves.
If you need resources
If you, your family, your friends or your neighbors need to access resources to help with the heat, we’ve collated some free options.
Seniors over the age of 60 who live within the city limits and are homebound because of medical reasons, travel restrictions or excessive heat can apply to get free meal delivery and two fans per household by calling (509) 459-6597 or visiting mowspokane.org. Seniors who live outside city limits can apply by calling (509) 924-6976 or visiting gscmealsonwheels.org
The city of Spokane has six libraries that can operate as cooling shelters from 9 am to 7 pm, Monday through Thursday. They can collectively serve 2,118 people at one time. Their addresses can be found here. The Trent Shelter, located at 4320 E. Trent Ave., also operates as a cooling shelter and can accommodate 400 people during extreme weather events.
Spokane Parks & Recreation maintains splash pads at 19 parks across the city that operate from 9 am to 8 pm. Most of the city’s parks also have publicly accessible drinking fountains with free water, and Riverfront Park has indoor space that can be used to cool down.
Gonzaga University’s Climate Institute maintains an interactive map where you can find the locations of shaded parks, splash pads, pools, drinking fountains and other cooling resources across the city. You can enter your location into this tool and find the resources nearest to you.
When the temperature is above 95 degrees, Spokane Transit Authority gives free rides to people headed to a cooling space — all you have to do is tell your driver that you are heading to a cooling center and don’t have money for fare.
As we power through this heat wave together, we want to make sure you know how to protect yourself and your community.
We’re not trying to “mom” you, we promise, but the most basic tip is one of the most important: stay hydrated! Drink water and electrolytes, especially before and after exerting yourself.
When possible, stay indoors and in AC-controlled environments. If you have to go outside, wear sunscreen and appropriate clothes like light, loose layers. Our editor Val is on an umbrella kick as a way to protect herself from the sun, so that’s an option too.
In the worst case scenarios, you or another community member could develop heat exhaustion or experience a heat stroke, which is a “severe emergency,” according to Justin de Ruyter from the Spokane Fire Department. The Spokane Regional Health District put out a handy guide on how to recognize the signs of both heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
The basic signs of heat exhaustion include:
- Excessive sweating
- Paleness
- Muscle cramps/aches
- Tiredness
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fainting
To prevent heat exhaustion symptoms from turning into heat stroke, you should move to a cool place, remove all unnecessary clothing, drink water or a rehydration drink and cool your skin with water or cold packs. If any of these symptoms become severe, you should seek medical attention.
The basic signs of a heat stroke, which is extremely dangerous, include:
- A body temperature above 103°F
- Red, hot and dry skin that is not sweating, a fast, strong pulse
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Unconsciousness
If you are experiencing these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.
Though this is more of a please-just-do-this-always safety tip, we strongly encourage you to carry Narcan and know how to use it. Anecdotally, according to Anne Raven from SFD, overdoses in Spokane have been rising with the heat, and recent research published by the journal Environment International shows that staying cool can reduce risk of overdose. Having Narcan on hand could save someone’s life (though don’t forget to call 911 immediately after administering it.)
We want you to stay safe, stay cool and stay cognizant of your community during this extreme weather event.
