Clear Channel Outdoor and Maricopa County announced on May 5 the renewal of their partnership for a third year to run a digital billboard campaign aimed at educating residents about local heat relief resources as summer temperatures rise. The campaign, which began on May 4 and will continue through September, is also supported by the Maricopa Association of Governments, 211 Arizona, and the City of Phoenix.
The initiative comes after two consecutive years in which heat-related deaths in Maricopa County have declined. According to preliminary data from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), there were 430 confirmed heat-related deaths in 2025, down from 608 in 2024 and a record-setting 645 deaths in 2023. The effort aims to further reduce these numbers by increasing public awareness about more than 200 available heat relief sites throughout the county.
“Last summer, Clear Channel provided space with heat relief messaging (at no cost to taxpayers) across the county,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Kate Brophy McGee, District 3. “These messages were seen an estimated 220 million times. We are so grateful for this lifesaving partnership with Clear Channel. We ask all residents to remember if they or their loved ones are in a heat related emergency call 211 and get the help you need.”
Adriane Youngblood, President of Clear Channel Outdoor’s Arizona Division, said: “In our third year working in partnership with our fellow community stakeholders, the focus remains on making sure people know where to go before heat becomes an emergency. We’re proud to continue this partnership to amplify awareness of heat relief resources across the Valley. By using our digital billboard network to deliver timely information at scale, we’re helping residents and visitors quickly find cooling centers and critical support when and where it matters most.” MCDPH is expanding its efforts this year by contracting with cities and community organizations for longer hours at cooling centers—including overnight options—and by distributing educational materials along with naloxone and electrolytes at these sites.
The donated billboards will also promote access to free assistance via the statewide information service provided by 211 Arizona. Live operators are available daily from morning until evening during peak season; automated services remain accessible outside those hours.
While education remains a focus area for many organizations within Maricopa County—where recent school data shows that more than half of students did not pass key sections of standardized tests such as AASA or ACT according to the Arizona Department of Education—public health campaigns like this one aim directly at reducing risks during extreme weather events.
Looking ahead, officials say they hope continued collaboration among government agencies, nonprofits, businesses like Clear Channel Outdoor—and increased use of services such as cooling centers—will further lower preventable deaths caused by high temperatures.
