Phoenix, Arizona, has spent years developing policies to reduce heat-related deaths, and officials say the approach is now working and could offer lessons for other regions grappling with increasingly severe heatwaves. Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, became the first place in the world to appoint a dedicated heat officer in 2021, and has since focused on expanding access to cooling centres and air conditioning, particularly for low-income and homeless residents. The initiative comes as extreme heat causes rising death tolls across the US and Europe, with experts warning that hotter nights mean bodies get less chance to recover from daytime heat.

Heat-related deaths in Maricopa County fell from a peak of 645 in 2023 to 405 in 2025, a decline experts partly credit to the county's policies, including extended and sometimes 24-hour access to cool spaces and a scheme helping eligible residents repair or replace air conditioning units. However, the trend is not guaranteed to continue: as of 11 July this year, the county had recorded 23 confirmed heat deaths with a further 282 under investigation, a pace that could outstrip last year's total. Experts such as Ladd Keith of the University of Arizona argue other places could replicate Phoenix's approach by appointing a designated heat officer to coordinate responses, since without a person responsible, the problem risks being neglected.