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Q&A
Guidance and assistance for New Yorkers during extreme heat events
0:37:54
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138 sec
Council Member Schulman inquires about the guidance provided to New Yorkers for extreme heat events. Carolyn Olson from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene explains the city's efforts to educate and assist residents during heat emergencies.
- The health department provides extensive information on their website
- A health advisory is sent to healthcare providers annually
- The Home Energy Assistance Program helps residents get access to air conditioning
- Concerns are raised about the program running out of funding in recent years
- The city advocates for additional funds for cooling assistance and utility benefits
Lynn C. Schulman
0:37:54
guidance does the administration provide to New Yorkers to help prepare for extreme heat events and where can this guidance be found?
0:38:00
I know you mentioned the website.
0:38:01
Is there anything else or?
Carolyn Olson
0:38:04
Yeah.
0:38:05
We do extensive work to educate New Yorkers in advance of extreme heat events and then of course during extreme heat events.
0:38:14
So the health department has a lot of information on our website.
0:38:18
Our heat mortality report is there.
0:38:20
We have great information for New Yorkers about how to stay safe.
0:38:24
And a huge part of our push is also to help people get access to residential cooling if they don't already have that.
0:38:32
So the home energy assistance program is the primary way for individuals to get access to an air conditioner.
0:38:40
And so every year right about this time we send out a health advisory to all of the providers in New York City, Health Care Providers, and letting them know reminding them the heat is coming.
0:38:54
If you have a patient who may not have cooling at home, please get them signed up for this program as soon as possible or help them find this program.
0:39:06
The last two actually I think it's three years now.
0:39:09
At least the last two years, that program has closed in July because they ran out of funding.
0:39:15
This is a federally funded state administered program.
0:39:20
And every year, administration, the health department, emergency management, colleagues at the mayor's office, we submit a letter to the office of temporary disability assistance which administers the program advocating for additional funds to be allocated to that program specifically for the summer cooling assistance and also for utility benefits.
0:39:46
So you know it's one thing to have an air conditioner but if you can't afford to turn it it's a problem.
0:39:52
So we continue to advocate for that.
0:39:55
And again, as we're all kind of sounding the drumbeat, we know that there are federal changes.
0:40:01
The Home Energy Assistance Program in particular is one of the ones that has been reported as cut.
0:40:07
And so we need to continue to advocate for for these funds for New Yorkers who need it.