How the West Coast’s Only Heat Officer is Cooling LA

LOS ANGELES — As triple-digit summer temperatures sweep Southern California, Marta Segura is treating extreme heat as a public health crisis.

Segura, LA’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Director, also became its first Chief Heat Officer (CHO) in June 2022. As the region has seen record July heat with little relief, she has prioritized accessibility to cooling resources, particularly for underserved LA communities.

Extreme heat, the country’s top weatherrelated killer, is generally defined as at least two to three days of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. On an extreme heat day, there’s an average of 8,222 more emergency room visits across California for related issues. Of these, 1,510 are in LA County alone. An