“In early November, Los Angeles City Council members voted unanimously to create the city’s first chief heat officer position. It’s an indication that in a city familiar with natural disasters, heat is emerging as a major threat. ‘We need to at least have planning at the level of our response to earthquakes,’ said Councilmember Paul Koretz, who helped lead efforts to create the city’s first Climate Emergency Mobilization Office and supported the creation of the heat officer position.

“Los Angeles becomes the third local government to carve out a role to deal specifically with heat. Miami-Dade County in Florida and Phoenix filled similar positions earlier this year. These jobs are designed to put the risks of heat — hidden, underestimated and intensifying with climate change — at the center as local governments prepare for a fast-warming world. Cities can be at particular risk of heat waves as their infrastructure absorbs more heat, and it is a particular concern in rapidly urbanizing areas. ‘We know extreme heat days are happening more and more. We now have the occasional day where invariably somebody or multiple people will die from the heat,’ Koretz added.

“The position is one of several new initiatives designed to mitigate the worsening effects of climate change and to protect the city’s most vulnerable residents — often people of color and lower-income people. The heat officer will work with city departments and community organizations to increase public awareness of heat danger and set goals toward tackling those threats. The vote came just two days before California officials announced, on the last day of the COP26 climate talks in Scotland, a statewide new ranking system for heat waves similar to what is already used for hurricanes and air quality.”