ADOA Cooling Centers Hosted 59% More Visits in Summer 2025

Two mobile, solar-powered cooling centers that the Arizona Department of Administration operated in the Capitol Mall have closed for the summer after hosting 11,956 visitors who needed respite from the heat. This was a 59% increase in visits over the first summer of operations in 2024, when the two Cooltainers served 7,509 visitors.

On May 5, ADOA opened a unit at 1601 W. Jefferson Street; on June 2 the 1818 W. Adams Street Cooltainer opened. The retrofitted shipping containers can fit about 15 people at a time and are staffed by members of the Arizona Faith Network to provide water, electrolyte packets, a place to charge devices and referrals to further resources.

The biggest age group served in summer 2025 was between ages 35-44, but children as young as the 10-13 range logged visits; 393 veterans visits were also recorded. The Cooltainers closed for the season on Oct. 15, when they were put into storage until the temperatures rise again.

General Services Division Program Administrator Kerry Suson coordinates the operations and logistics for the ADOA-managed Cooltainers and ran a collection drive among state employees to donate cell phone charging cables for Cooltainer users. He has observed firsthand how the ADOA Cooltainers have helped people from all walks of life when they need heat relief.

"There was a week this summer where some kids from the neighborhood next to the Capitol had their AC go out, and the kids and their family spent a few days with us just getting some relief from that situation. They were so grateful," he said. "These units serve everyday people, people who are unhoused, people who are trying to get services from the agencies that have offices here. It's a great service we are offering."

As part of Gov. Katie Hobbs' Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan, ADOA renovated shipping containers that the state had in surplus to serve as mobile cooling centers. ADOA used several local small business partners for renovating the containers, adding solar and transporting them. To turn them into cooling stations, the containers had to be sandblasted, insulated and painted. Flooring, electrical, wiring and solar panels had to be installed.

State Chief Heat Officer Dr. Eugene Livar said the Cooltainers are an innovative response to heat relief. "A collaborative approach is critical in bringing life-saving ideas like the Cooltainers into reality, and with Arizona facing a serious threat from extreme heat, every one of the thousands of visits represents an opportunity to prevent a heat-related illness, injury or death for our community," said Livar.

In total, the state has refurbished 18 shipping containers; ADOA operates two and has deployed 14 across the state for counties, cities and tribes to use to prevent heat-related illnesses. Two are still available for deployment.

According to Arizona Department of Health Services data, there have been more than 4,700 heat-related emergency room visits in 2025 so far; there were 5,974 heat-related emergency room visits in 2024 across the state. More than 5,141 people died from exposure to excessive heat in Arizona from 2013 to 2024. This year, the number of heat relief centers across the state totaled about 415 locations, an expansion from last year.