Just in time for the official start of summer, MAPC has rolled out its pioneering Keep Cool app. In partnership with the Metro Mayors Coalition Climate Preparedness Taskforce, MAPC soft launched this innovative new web application last summer as a resource for those who live and work in the Coalition’s 14 cities and towns in the inner core of Metro Boston – Boston, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Melrose, Medford, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, and Winthrop. The tool makes finding places to keep cool in the summer heat much simpler, whether you’re a parent with young kids in need of a splash park or a senior citizen looking for respite during a heat wave.
Officially re-launched for the full summer and updated with 2017 information, Keep Cool can be used on mobile or desktop devices. The app catalogs swimming pools, spray decks, wading pools, beaches, lakes, water play areas, public libraries, and other public places users can go to beat the heat. When a heat wave is in effect, it will automatically display information on the closest cooling centers. The app will provide tips for staying safe during extreme weather, including how to recognize and prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
To use the tool or just explore, go to keepcool.mapc.org and either search for locations nearby or in a specific neighborhood or town. Clicking on a location will give you the site’s hours, contact information, directions, and other applicable information.
As climate change is exacerbating heat in the Metro Boston area and will only worsen conditions in future years, Keep Cool provides background on how average summer temperatures have risen since 2010 and what Metro Boston summers could feel like in the future.
Click on “Stay Safe” to learn about the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and suggestions on how to prepare for and live through high-heat days. While Keep Cool is a great resource for everyone, it could prove especially beneficial to the elderly and parents with young children. Both age groups are especially vulnerable to high temperatures. So don’t forget to check in on – and share Keep Cool with – those who might need it most!
You can also click on “Stay Cool” to learn about rebates on air conditioning and efficiency improvements, home energy assessments, and related income-eligible programs.
Know of a perfect summer site to cool off that is not already included on the map? Feel free to reach out to us to let us know!