Description - Figure 1 - Community HARS and preventative actions to reduce heat-health risks

The figure includes information pertaining to the different components of a Community HARS with preventative actions to reduce heat-health risks. The figure is a circle with four layers. Under the broad category of "Preventative Actions" (layer 1, outer layer), there are seven specific actions (layer 2: reduce urban heat island effect, promote healthy communities and individuals, modify transportation policies, improve social capital and social networks, build climate resiliency, assess heat-health vulnerability and reduce green-house gases. The "Heat Alert and Response System" (layer 3) has 5 core elements (layer 4) that is depicted as five puzzle pieces: Alert Protocol, Community Response Plan, Communications Plan, Evaluation Plan and Community Mobilization and Engagement. Specifically:

• The Alert Protocol specifies to identify heat-health risks and activate and deactivate the communication and response plans.
• The Community Response Plan actions include the need to be involved in stakeholder outreach and assist vulnerable people.
• The Communication Plan highlights the need to increase awareness, deliver education about adaptation, connect partners, and alert citizens and stakeholders.
• The Evaluation Plan actions are to improve HARS, validate measures, and identify improvement opportunities.
• Community Mobilization and Engagement is important for all other core elements and overlaps with Alert Protocol, Community Response Plan, Communication Plan, and Evaluation Plan.