Table 3.
Characteristics of the heat-health action plans.
| ID | Component ofa HHAP (Yes/No) | If Component of a HAP, Intervention Strategies | Evaluation and Revision |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU | Yes | Level 0—Long-term development and planning for the summer: Elaboration and updating of information material and ensure information flow with stakeholders and other administrations. Level 1—protection during summer, between heat waves: preparation of information (general public and specific target groups), check and update emergency phone list. Level 2—during heat wave: - Transmission of heat warnings to umbrella organizations and sponsors of care facilities for the elderly andparticularly heat-sensitive population groups. - Management of hospitals, residential and care facilities and mobile services: - Increased attention to signs of heat-related illnesses. - Recording and documenting room-related heat stress (room temperature, solar radiation) and taking acute adaptation measures (ventilation behaviour, sun protection, changing the occupied zone) - Ensure sufficient availability and use of suitable beverages, monitor liquid balance of endangered persons. - Support cooling of the body (e.g., showers, hand and foot baths) and appropriate clothing, bed linen. - Ensure appropriate nutrition and food safety. - Avoidance of outdoor activities at peak times. - Family and neighborly contacts consciously activate - Phone line available for the population. |
Irregularly |
| BE | Yes | Public cooling areas, phone hotline. - | |
| EN | Yes | From long-term planning for severe heat, through summer and heatwave preparedness, to a major national emergency. Social and healthcare services target specific actions at high-risk groups. Potential discontinuation of public or sporting events, closure of schools, provision of local cool centers, reduce urban heat & deteriorating air quality by minimizing unnecessary transport and energy use. Implications for trains: staged preventative measures at 22 °C, extreme precautions at 36 °C, measures to prevent track buckling.Bottled water supply. |
Annually |
| FR | Yes | Upscale hotline staff. Track and support homeless (t-shirt, water, sun-cap, map of drinking fountains, emergency shelter venues). Voluntary registry of vulnerable people and monitoring (NGO, including Red Cross). Installation and maintenance of air-conditioned in residential care. Installation of public water provision or open up public swimming pools. |
Annually |
| DE | Yes, in some federal states of Germany | Depending on the federal states of Germany. Overall phone hotline and information campaign. Example in Berlin: “heat bus”, supplying refreshments, sun protection and information. |
Annually |
| GR | General Secretariat for Civil Protection responsible for actions | - | No |
| HU | Yes | Forecasted heat wave: info to health care system and general public. During heatwave: provide portable water in public places, water roads and parks, monitor water supply and quality, planned disruption of electricity, special rules for employers and restrictions for public transport. Extraordinary measures: increase hospital beds, ambulance units, hospital staff, cool bodies at morgues, extend opening hours public air-conditioned places and pools, defer non-essential surgery. |
- |
| IT | Yes | Active monitoring of vulnerable groups by GPs, social workers, volunteers (phone calls & home visits by GPs). Activation of emergency protocols in care and retirement homes and in hospitals (postpone non-emergency surgery, discharge planning, staff rotation restrictions, increased hospital beds). Educational campaigns. |
- |
| NE | Yes | Several organizations warn their target groups and regional contacts. Measures to limit the impact of hot weather conditions provided through the heat plan. |
Regular meetings to discuss the method of the heat plan and the effects |
| NM | Yes | Monitoring, information provided to retirement homes and GPs, installation or maintenance of public drinking fountains & springs, education to public. Phase 1: preventative measures media campaign, home visits to elderly, socially isolated and homeless (red cross); phone line. Phase 2: supply food to elderly and at risk media alert, specific measure for health care preparedness, protection measures for occupationally heat exposed workers; including activating redistribution in residential settings to air-conditioned rooms, extra staff on hotline. Phase 3: Emergency, led by National Crises Management Center |
Annually |
| PT | Yes | Public health emergency telephone used as hotline and reinforced with nursing personnel. Increase capacity of health care services, upscale staff for telephone hotline. Info to public, authorities, health sectors & media. Activate local refuge shelters, monitor need for transportation to places of refuge; notify most vulnerable; increase capacity of health care services. |
In specific, extreme years. |
| RO | Yes | Monitoring and general advice to public and health institutions. Phone hotline; daily information to health ministry, health authorities; monitors sanitary, water, food prep, med storage, outreach people with social dependence. Emergency response: increase support to ambulance or emergency services. |
- |
| SL | No | - | - |
| SP | Yes | Levels 0, 1: information (media, social services, institutions) and monitoring. Level 2: intensify communication (hospitals and social services), evaluation of specific measures. Level 3: recommendations to population under risk, evaluation by the Centre of Warnings and Health Emergencies. |
At least once a year |
| SW | The SMHI is only in charge of the heat warnings, not the actions. | It is up to each county to develop strategies. | All class 2 warnings are evaluated. The whole warning system will be revised in the next few years with the introduction of impact-based warnings and flexible warning districts. |
| CH | Yes, cantonal heat plans | The strategies depend on the cantonal authorities. For instance, in Ticino: -During the period of health surveillance, from 1 June to 15 September, constant monitoring of the weather. -In the event of a heat wave: continuous communication with the main partners (Service for the Protection of the Population, Labour Inspectorate Office, municipalities, homes for the elderly, home care and assistance services, representatives of the world of work) and health monitoring in collaboration with the emergency department of the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale |
Feedback from cantons after each warning and annual warnings’ conference. |
GPs: general practitioners.