In sharp contrast to the story of Governor Abbot and the Texas Legislature's recent passage of over-ruling local government on extreme heat, Arizona Democrats are working to add a dangerous climate threat to government policy both locally and nationally.
AZCentral reporting on US Representative Ruben Gallego's efforts to add extreme heat to FEMA’S list of natural disasters.
U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego is pushing to make extreme heat eligible for the same relief available after other major disasters, such as hurricanes, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
The change would provide federal resources for cities during heatwaves when temperatures exceed normal averages for the time of year and therefore endanger the safety and wellbeing of an area's residents, Gallego said. The relief could mean additional cooling centers, pop-up shelters and resources for individuals most vulnerable to heat, such as those who are homebound or unhoused.
FEMA spokesperson David Passey said the assistance would become available once the need exceeded what local and state resources could handle.
Gallego, D-Ariz., introduced legislation on June 5 to amend the list of eligible disasters to declare extreme heat a major disaster. If enacted, the Extreme Heat Emergency Act could take effect by January 2024.
The legislation, which Gallego called a bipartisan effort, will likely be referred to the Republican-led House Homeland Security Committee, according to staff from Gallego's office. The bill would need to make it through a subcommittee and then the full committee before going to the House floor. There, it could be voted on as a standalone bill or become part of a broader package.
From Tuscon.com on Phoenix Mayor Kate Gellego’s local efforts to alleviate heat stress in her city:
In 2022, 425 heat-associated deaths were reported in Maricopa County, a 25% increase from the previous year. To curb the rise in deaths, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has made efforts to provide assistance and disaster relief for residents susceptible to heat exhaustion and other heat-related harms with the creation of the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation within the city’s government.
“I made it my mission to adapt to this trend to innovate, to try to find solutions so that we are not falling behind on heat resilience,” Gallego said Friday at a news conference to discuss heat reliefs efforts.
“We’re the first city with a permanent office of government that is dedicated to fighting the heat and adapting to it anywhere in the United States. The office works side by side with the entire city government to address … our city streets, our fire response programs, environmental problems and so much more,” she said.
This information is included in the Governor or Tribal Chief Executive’s request to show that the disaster is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and the affected local governments or Indian tribal government and that supplemental federal assistance is necessary.
Once the PDA is complete and the State or Indian tribal government determines that the damage exceeds their resources, the Governor or Tribal Chief Executive may submit a declaration request to the President through their FEMA Regional Office. As part of the request, the Governor or Tribal Chief Executive must take appropriate action under State or Tribal law and direct the execution of the State or Tribal emergency plan. The Governor or Tribal Chief Executive shall furnish information on the nature and amount of State and local or Indian tribal government resources that have been or will be committed to alleviating the results of the disaster, provide an estimate of the amount and severity of damage and the impact on the private and public sectors, and provide an estimate of the type and amount of assistance needed under the Stafford Act. In addition, the Governor or Tribal Chief Executive must certify that, for the current disaster, State and local governments or Indian tribal government obligations and expenditures will comply with all applicable cost-sharing requirements.
There are two types of disaster declarations from FEMA.
- The President can declare an emergency for any occasion or instance when the President determines federal assistance is needed. Emergency declarations supplement State and local or Indian tribal government efforts in providing emergency services, such as the protection of lives, property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States. The total amount of assistance provided for in a single emergency may not exceed $5 million. The President shall report to Congress if this amount is exceeded.
- A Governor or Tribal Chief Executive may request an emergency declaration in advance or anticipation of the imminent impact of an incident that threatens such destruction as could result in a major disaster. Such requests must meet all of the statutory and regulatory requirements for an emergency declaration request. Requests must demonstrate the existence of critical emergency protective measure needs prior to impact are beyond the capability of the State and affected local governments or Indian tribal government and identify specific unmet emergency needs that can be met through DFA. Such DFA may include, but is not limited to, personnel, equipment, supplies, and evacuation assistance. Pre-positioning of assets generally does not require a declaration. Assistance made available under a pre-disaster emergency declaration will typically be Category B (emergency protective measures), limited to DFA. FEMA may require damage assessments and/or verified cost estimates if additional types of assistance are requested.