Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC encourages employees and students to take precautions during heat wave

Photos and story by James Hill

As the Portland area experiences another major heat wave that starts today with temperatures forecasted into the triple digits for a few days, Portland Community College wants to provide information about cooling centers and other places to stay cool.

If conditions warrant, the college inclement weather team will meet to determine any college closures or other changes.

In addition, a reminder about campus safety precautions and access protocols during the extreme temperatures. Facilities Management Services (FMS) personnel are providing relief for those on campus, such as temporarily running air conditioning in occupied buildings 24/7 and providing water for students and faculty in the classrooms. For those who are on campus experiencing an issue, they should consult their manager. In addition, folks should stay indoors, drink plenty of water and remain hydrated.

For tips and precautions on how you and your loved ones can remain safe during the heat, visit www.ready.gov/heat.

For those employees who do not have air conditioning at home, the college asks to please not come to campus to find relief. PCC is still operating under COVID restrictions and the only buildings where A/C is turned on and the water/air systems flushed and balanced are those that are in use by students. The vast majority of buildings on all campuses are unoccupied and shut down without these services.

Here are some resources to locate a cooling center nearest you:

• 211info.org¡¯s list of locations.
• Tri-Met¡¯s list of cooling centers.
• Interactive map of cooling stations.
• Stay Cool Washington County webpage.
• Washington County Cooling centers.

If you have family or neighbors who are older adults, homebound, or anyone with underlying health conditions who may need extra assistance, please check in on them and share this information as needed.