To all:  This is the text of a press release issued today. It originates
because of the dire circumstances our staff are witnessing- in particular
after an afternoon of street outreach that a few of us did yesterday in an
attempt to provide some immediate relief (fluids, sunscreen, first aid). The
Associate Medical Officer of Health will be speaking to the general issues
around heat at the Homeless advisory committee tomorrow. 


For immediate release (from Central Toronto Community Health Centres)
July 16, 1998

Media Advisory

City of Toronto needs a Hot Weather Alert NOW!

Recent weather extremes of high heat, humidity and smog levels have been
particularly dangerous for some Toronto residents, especially people who are
homeless, people who squeegee and panhandle for a living, those living in
hot rooming houses, frail elderly folks and people with chronic illness such
as diabetes, emphysema or HIV/AIDS.  The summer forecast calls for more of
the hot, humid conditions.

"I'm blown away by the kinds of suffering I'm seeing… festering wounds,
dehydration, wicked sunburn, total fatigue… because of this heat.
Squeegee'ers keep asking why there isn't a hot weather alert warning,
similar to the cold alert in the winter?" says Cheryl White, Street Outreach
Worker at Queen West CHC.  The City of Toronto has a mechanism in the cold
weather for calling a "Cold Weather Alert" which provides a number of
emergency measures when the weather falls below -15 degrees celsius.

The health and well being of vulnerable groups is no less critical during
this hot weather.  It is therefore crucial that a comprehensive set of
initiatives be developed and inacted by appropriate City departments.  Some
American cities facing heatwave conditions have already implemented
emergency heat measures.

Features of a Toronto City Emergency Heat Response could include:

· the emergency opening of municipal, federal or army facilities that are
air-conditioned or cool during times of extreme  heat. These facilities
should be geographically distributed across the old cities of Metro and
widely publicized to urge people vulnerable to heat to come indoors
· staffing, including public health nurse support at these "cooling sites"
to provide early detection and amelioration of health crises
· emergency funding of community agencies to expand their hours and provide
more outreach and make supplies available (fluids, sun screen, hats, et.)
· a "Hot Weather Directive" by the police department calling for a relaxed
policy to not move people out of parks who are sleeping outside or seeking shade
· a "fan loaner" system for people living in rooming houses, etc., to help
them to stay out of the heat
· TTC cooperation in allowing visibly marginalized people (impoverished)
free access to public transportation
For more information: Walter Weary, Executive Director 703-8482 (321) or
Cathy Crowe, Nursing Outreach 703-8482 (117)