Alliance for Heat Resilience and Health (AHRH)

Extreme heat now kills more people in the U.S. than any other weather-related hazard. As climate change accelerates, heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer-lasting, and more severe. These events strain public health systems, worsen health inequities, and put frontline communities—especially outdoor workers and those without access to cooling—at grave risk. 

To meet this moment, major national organizations convened the Alliance for Heat Resilience and Health (AHRH) in response to the OSHA rulemaking on heat illness prevention. The Alliance now includes over a dozen national organizations working in collaboration to advance protective standards, proactive emergency plans, and local and state-based engagement.

Current Campaign

AHRH has developed a health organization sign-on letter to the National Governors Association ahead of its meeting in Colorado at the end of July. The letter provides policy recommendations for addressing extreme heat at the state level through protections and planning procedures.  Our members work hard to care for our patients and communities before, during, and after the disaster strikes. But we can’t do it alone. To protect the populations we serve, we need the leadership of our Governors. With their partnership, we can advance policy solutions that keep our populations healthy, even during the worst extreme heat events.

read our letter here

This toolkit provides resources to send the letter to your governor, amplify via social media, and write op-eds or LTEs to increase awareness for this effort.

This timely discussion with health leaders and policymakers addresses how states can lead the way in protecting communities from extreme heat. We also share highlights from the Alliance for Heat Resilience and Health’s organizational sign-on letter urging governors to lead on stronger state preparedness and protection plans.

Efforts of the Alliance to Date

  • A webinar, hosted on October 22, 2024, on the importance of health professional engagement on the heat standard, with 395 registrants
  • An informational fact sheet for health professionals on the standards
  • An organizational sign-on letter to OSHA, signed by 86 health organizations
  • Over 800 public comments from health professionals and health advocates submitted to the Federal Register
  • 31 health professional registrants for the OSHA hearing on the extreme heat standard

Alliance Members