Contact Information:

Meg Matthews

Public Relations Manager

mmatthews@littlerock.gov

(501) 804-4822

Press Release

(Little Rock – July 16, 2013)     

The City of Little Rock is taking action to help employees, citizens and the homeless cool off during these hot summer days.

“As we do every year, we will amend work schedules to keep our employees safe if temperatures get dangerously high,” said City Manager Bruce Moore.  “I am authorizing all Department Directors to adjust work hours to allow employees to start the work day earlier than normal if need be.  Also, if the heat index reaches 105, employees who work outside are allowed to come into City facilities.”

Additionally, the City of Little Rock will open its Alert and Community Centers to citizens who need a cool place to seek relief from the heat. Serious health consequences can occur for elderly and other residents who may not have air conditioning in their homes. According to the National Weather Service, heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States.

The Alert Center addresses are as follows:

• East of Broadway Alert Center – 500 East 21^st St.
• West Baseline Alert Center – 9209 Mann Rd.
• South End Alert Center – 1100 West 33^rd
• Willie Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center – 3805 W. 12^th St.
• West Central Alert Center – 4200 John Barrow Road  
• Wakefield Alert Center – 7414 Doyle Springs Rd.
• Central High Alert Center – 1108 S. Park St.
• Capitol View/Stifft Station Alert Center – 2715 W. 7^th St.

The Alert Centers are all staffed and open from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Little Rock’s Community Centers locations:

• Dunbar Community Center – 1001 w. 16^th St.
• East Little Rock Community Center – 2500 E. 6^th St.
• Southwest Community Center – 6401 Baseline Rd.
• Stephens Community Center – 3720 W. 18^th St.

The Community Centers are also staffed and will have signage that will direct residents to the rooms they may room for cooling off purposes. Other spaces are in use for the Summer Playground and Senior Programs.

This year the City is also operating the Jericho Way Homeless Day Resource Center.  Opened May 22, the Center services around 75 to 100 people each day. Two vans are used to help transport them to the facility where breakfast and lunch are provided.  Clients can take showers as well as meet with case workers. These case workers help them look for housing, jobs, identification and medical appointments. The JWHDR also gives these individuals a place to seek relief from the heat.

Also, the City of Little Rock is participating in the 6^th year of collaboration with the Salvation Army to provide a Cooling Center at 111 W. Markham St. from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. every day when the heat index reaches 100 degrees.