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Phoenix presents trail heat-safety measures after rising mountain rescues
Summary
The Fire and Parks departments described trail closures tied to National Weather Service extreme-heat warnings, new ice machines and cameras at trailheads, and rescue data showing most mountain rescues are heat-related; officials said preliminary 2026 data show an uptick in rescues and stressed public caution.
City fire and parks officials told the Public Safety & Justice Subcommittee on June 3 that heat-related mountain rescues remain a serious public-safety problem and described steps taken to reduce risks on local trails.
Assistant Chief Mark Gonzalez (Fire Department) and Deputy Parks Director Jared Rogers reviewed the parks board policy that closes high-risk trails when the National Weather Service issues an extreme heat warning and detailed equipment and staffing changes: electronic gates to support scheduled closures, message boards and cameras at key trailheads, and ice machines placed for use by first responders during rescues.
Gonzalez said most mountain rescues in the cited period were heat-related — he told the committee that 85% of incidents were heat related and that the departments recorded 206 rescues citywide in 2025. He also said early 2026 data are concerning: the first five months of 2026 averaged about 15 mountain rescues a month versus about 10 a month in the comparable period of 2025.
Councilmembers praised the cross-department work and stressed personal precautions for hikers. Councilwoman O’Brien urged residents to treat warnings seriously, carry extra water and respect closures: "Please take these warnings seriously…carry more water than you think you'll need. Turn around before you get in trouble," she said.
Officials said they will continue to explore technology to provide real-time closure information and to expand protective measures at trailheads.
Next steps: departments will monitor rescues through the summer and continue partnership efforts; the committee did not take additional action in this session.
