The town is asking residents to look out for one another to prevent tragic deaths due to extreme heat. However, in the event of a major emergency that results in a widespread power outage for an extended period during hot weather, the town may be hard pressed to help.

While such a scenario may be very unlikely, Town Manager Grady Miller points out that several years ago a fire that destroyed a power company substation in the West Valley required weeks to get the equipment replaced and back on line. Power was not out the entire time, but the outage was lengthy.

In the event of grid stress from high temperatures the power utilities might resort to brown-out scenarios to reduce electrical consumption. Miller said in those situations some public buildings may retain full power to allow for cooling sites.

The town does have an emergency plan, but in its current form it also tends to rely on neighbors to step up to provide assistance if citizens need cooling shelter.

The town is lacking the ability to provide “cooling centers” to citizens in the event all power is lost during a heat emergency, Miller reported in a recent meeting with public safety staff.

Fountain Hills Rural/Metro Fire Chief Dave Ott said facilities in town that could accommodate large numbers of people do not have emergency power generation capability. Emergency generators at Town Hall and fire stations are limited in the area they can keep cool.

“I would like to have an emergency generator to take care of the high school gymnasium,” Asst. Fire Chief/Fire Marshal Jason Payne said.

He said it would not take a particularly large generator to accommodate that facility.

Following the deaths recently of two elderly women that were attributed to heat, staff has been discussing options and preparedness for greater potential problems. There is no specific plan set for implementation. Miller said obtaining equipment for School District facilities is an option, and he believes grant funding could be available for such improvements.

The town could provide a temporary intake for people that would need to be further moved to facilities in Scottsdale or other communities, according to Payne. He said Desert Ridge High School is the nearest designated cooling center.

Payne does emphasize that in the event of an emergency where there is no widespread, long-term interruption of power the town can provide for evacuation centers. With a situation such as flooding or fire where people may need to get out of their home temporarily they can be accommodated at public facilities including schools and town buildings.