JOB AID: 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.

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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 around underserved heat island areas in the city. 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.

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.