The City of Kamloops is putting out a call for people to help staff their cooling centers as a sharp rise in temperatures next week could trigger a heat emergency.

Carmen Mazzotta, the City’s Community Development Manager, tells NL News they’re also imploring people to be ‘good neighbours’ during the heat wave.

“We’re working on some messaging that we are going to get out through the neighbourhood associations and ask them to share it through the social media channels,”  he said. “[It will be] around some basic things like what to look for if you are going to check on your neighbour, and what are some things you can do.”

Seventeen of the 619 people who died as a result of the 2021 heat dome were in Kamloops, according to the BC Coroners Service. They also noted that 98 per cent of all heat-related deaths in B.C. happened indoors in places without adequate cooling systems like air conditioners or fans.

The City of Kamloops will activate its heat emergency protocols if temperatures are expected to hit 35 C or above during the day, and above 18 C at night, for two consecutive days.

The latest forecast calls for a high if 35 C on Tuesday and 34 C on Wednesday with the overnight low on Tuesday at 17 C. Environment Canada told NL News that parts of the province could see 40 C temperatures by the middle of next week.

“Particularly over Southeast BC and further down towards the Kootenays maybe, but even Kamloops could get pretty darned hot for the middle of next week, into the mid perhaps high 30s, and if it builds back even more, touching close to 40 C,” meteorologist Doug Lundquist said.

Linda Stride, the City’s Recreation, Health and Wellness Supervisor, says they’re hoping to operate up to three cooling centres with Sandman Centre being the primary  one.

Pending staff and volunteer availability, the City will also aim to open the Parkview Activity Centre and Valleyview Community Hall as additional cooling sites. Cooling centre will be open from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with volunteers working four-hour shifts.

“Volunteers are an extremely important component of our heat response plan, and we’re asking residents to consider volunteering their time during a heat warning,” Stride said.

“When a cooling centre is activated, it is initially staffed by City employees; however, in the event of an extended heat event or a concurrent emergency, volunteers would be required to keep cooling centres open.”

Interested volunteers can apply online here.

– With files form Paul James