Most heat-related illnesses in Maricopa County occur among long-term residents, speaker says

A staff member at a Maricopa County meeting said most heat-related deaths and illnesses recorded in the county are occurring among people who have lived in the county for many years, and that older adults and young children face higher risk for severe outcomes.

The speaker said the county’s data show “most of our heat related deaths and illnesses are occurring in individuals who have lived in Maricopa County for many years.” The speaker added, “All of us are at risk for heat illness, whether we're older or younger, but we do know that there are certain individuals who are at higher risk for severe outcomes, and those include older individuals and younger individuals, young children, whose bodies just cannot regulate their temp the temperature as well, who may become dehydrated quicker than a middle aged person.”

The meeting transcript did not include numeric counts, rates, or a breakdown of the dataset cited; the speaker described the pattern qualitatively (“most” and “many years”) but did not provide specific figures or the time period covered. The speaker did identify two vulnerability groups emphasized in the remarks: older adults and young children, noting physiological differences that can make those groups more susceptible to heat illness and dehydration.

Remarks occurred during discussion at the meeting; no motion, vote or formal directive related to this topic was recorded in the transcript segment. The speaker did not specify next steps, planned interventions, or funding sources in the provided excerpt.