Published In

PLOS Climate

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-22-2024

Subjects

Heatwaves (Meteorology)

Abstract

Extreme heat events are a global public health threat, and the frequency of these events are projected to increase significantly in the coming decades. Responding to extreme heat requires that municipalities communicate with public audiences. Generally speaking, risk communication and public engagement efforts are more effective when they are responsive to current risk perception trends. This social scientific study examines extreme heat risk perceptions, emergency response needs, and level of trust in first responders among residents of the Portland (OR) Metro Area. Using quantitative survey data, it demonstrates the compounding influence of three previously identified vulnerability indicators–poverty, disability, and race–on public perception surrounding extreme heat and environmental emergencies. Results show these vulnerability indicators have a significant compounding effect on public perception, such that an increased number of vulnerability indicators is associated with greater anticipated harm from extreme heat, higher anticipated need in the event of an environmental emergency, and lower trust in first responders. Firefighters and medical providers were the most trusted first responders across all vulnerability groups. Guidelines for public engagement and recommendations for future social scientific research are discussed.

Rights

Copyright: © 2024 Suldovsky et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

DOI

10.1371/journal.pclm.0000386

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/41841

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