Given the high seasonal mortality associated with excessive heat events, a number of interested federal, state, and private entities recently participated in a workshop to assess the availability and effectiveness of current heat-related information and warnings.

The workshop, which was held in Phoenix this past November, was organized and sponsored by NOAA/National Weather Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arizona State University and the University of Miami. Invited participants included local city and state officials from Arizona and other nearby locales to facilitate information exchange and requirements for implementation and development of effective heat programs.

The paper will present major recommendations from the workshop and planned next steps to improve communication of critical heat information to emergency management and health officials, as well as to the general public.