JOB AID: Misting Stations

Signs posted at misting stations.

This job aid provides specific implementation guidance for misting stations as a public health heat intervention, following the City of Portland Severe Heat Operational Guidelines, which Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) updates annually.

Job Aid content was last updated in August 2022. PBEM turned misting station operations over to the Water Bureau for subsequent heatwaves, but this job aid is preserved in case NETs are deployed to them in the future.

Background

In June 2021, Portland experienced an unprecedented heatwave over several days, reaching 117 degrees Fahrenheit. Following this incident, PBEM worked with Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) to build and deploy several misting stations in canopy tents around underserved heat island areas in the city that were staffed by NET volunteers, and in 2022 began to loan out misting stations in canopy tents to community-based organizations (CBOs). In 2022, Portland Water Bureau (PWB) began offering stand-alone misting stations with a water bottle filling option at several locations. As of 2023, PBEM continues to loan out misting tents to CBOs that provide lifeline services at their locations, while Parks has taken over offering misting tents to City-sponsored special events, and PWB will deploy unstaffed misting stations with potable water bottle fill station during heatwaves as a life safety measure.

During heatwaves, misting station locations and hours will be shared on the Multnomah County Help for When it's Hot webpage and 211info's website. Misting stations uniquely serve people who may not want to visit indoor cooling center locations.

Definitions

Misting Tent	A 10x10 canopy tent with plastic hose piping attached to the canopy. Piping has small nozzles or holes to allow water to spray in a mist.
Misting Station	A free-standing PVC unit with bottle fill station. Accompanied by two orange cones and signage.

Concept of Operations

Locations

Six parks have been identified by PP&R that serve underserved neighborhoods, have a lower occurrence of other public water and cooling amenities (pools, splash pads), and have easily accessible water hook ups (hose bib). These sites could be evaluated annually based on reported usage and changes in PP&R water amenities.

1. Lents Park at Walker Stadium (4808 SE 92nd Ave., Portland, OR 97266)
2. Knott Park west restroom (NE 117th Ave. and NE Knott St., Portland, OR 97220)
3. Mt. Scott Community Center near playgrounds (5530 SE 72nd Ave., Portland, OR 97206)
4. East Portland Community Center (740 SE 106th Ave., Portland, OR 97216)
5. Harney Park restroom (SE 67th Ave. and Harney St.)
6. Glenhaven Park utility box near skate park (7900 NE Siskiyou St., Portland, OR 97213)

Storage

Year round, the misting station supplies are stored by PBEM at their leased space at the Jerome Sears maintenance building (2730 S.W. Multnomah Blvd). Access can be obtained from the PBEM Operations Manager. During a severe heat event, misting stations may need to be deployed for multiple days. To save time, they can be stored at several locations approved by Parks.

Placement

• Misting stations: Set up on grass, not dirt or bark chips, to avoid mud. Do not put on paved surfaces, to avoid creating a slip hazard.
• A-boards: Put wherever it seems people may notice them, with an A-board and sign. Examples: Bus stops, sports fields.

Supplies

The following supplies belong to PBEM and are stored at the Jerome Sears maintenance building. Highlighted items are necessary each time a station is put up, while others may be for building more stations.