PHOENIX — The City of Phoenix is holding an informational session on January 23 about additional potential changes to the city’s Trail Heat Safety Program.
In October, the city’s Parks and Recreation Board made the decision to close South Mountain Park in addition to trails at Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak on excessive heat days. The trails will close from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., however, the city is now considering expanding the closure to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city is also considering closing the trails on any day the temperature reaches 105 degrees, not just when the National Weather Service issues an Excessive Heat Warning.
ABC15 spoke with a group of avid cyclists, hikers and runners, calling themselves the Keep Phoenix Trails Open Coalition, who regularly use South Mountain in the summer. They say they believe the most recent changes and proposed changes are a step too far.
“I train people for events that are for the fall, so they have to come out and train, and as a coach, I encourage them to come out in the heat and I know they’re going to be safe about it,” said Lisa Pozonni, the leader of numerous Valley running groups.
The trail users say working out in the summer heat is often unavoidable and at times, necessary for their training. They say they were caught off guard when the decision was made in October to shut down South Mountain in addition to Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain.
“These decisions can’t be made without engaging all the stakeholders,” said Christopher Bagby, who regularly trains at South Mountain Park.
ABC15 was not at the October meeting when the decision was made to close South Mountain in addition to Camelback and Piestewa and a city of Phoenix spokesperson said they don’t record the Phoenix Parks and Recreation board meetings. However, the agendas and outcomes of those meetings are posted online. In an Open Meetings Law complaint filed with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, a trail advocate stated, “What was most alarming was the absence of prior public notice or community input. The motion was made and approved with no discussion by the Board and under the guise of an ‘update.'"
A spokesperson for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office confirmed with ABC15 the complaint is being reviewed.
Four years ago, ABC15 reported on how the Phoenix Firefighter’s Union advocated for closures at Piestewa Peak and Camelback Mountain on Excessive Heat days after they said their crew was suffering from heat-related illness conducting multiple rescues on brutally hot days.
"They were so dehydrated, they were so exhausted, it was actually putting them into organ failure which can be a very quickly fatal situation,” PJ Dean, who represented United Phoenix Firefighters Local 493 in 2021, said.
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Those concerns have led some hikers, like Karen Walker, to agree with the most recent closure at South Mountain.
“There’s too many rescues here,” Walker said. “I think it’s a good idea.”
The Keep Phoenix Trails Open Coalition says they believe more education and resources are needed instead of closures.
“Let’s educate people, let’s find out what’s it going to take, what’s the problem, and find a solution aside from a full closure,” Bagby said. “I’ve never seen a road closed because it’s dangerous to drive and by far that is the most hazardous thing we all will do all day, every day.”
Representatives with the firefighter’s union have said more education has not stopped people from needing to be rescued on hot days. ABC15 reached out to union representatives and the Phoenix Fire Department for a comment but has not yet heard back.
ABC15 also reached out to the city of Phoenix asking what notice was given to trail users before the decision was made in October to close South Mountain.
In a statement, a city of Phoenix spokesperson said, “The 'Annual Phoenix Trails and Heat Safety Update' was included under Section 4 of the October 2024 meeting agenda titled 'DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM(S).' The decision to take action on any item under this section is at the discretion of the Parks and Recreation Board. Board meeting notices are published one week prior to the meeting and are publicly accessible at phoenix.gov/parks/board.”
In terms of when additional changes will be discussed, the city provided ABC15 with the following information:
“As a follow-up to the October meeting, the Board will hold a Work Study session on the Trail Heat Safety Program during the January 23rd meeting which will take place at 5:00 p.m. at Phoenix City Council Chambers. The session will be informational, with no formal action taken, and will focus on a discussion of the program. The meeting packet will be available on phoenix.gov/parks/board by January 17, and members of the public are encouraged to participate in-person or virtually via WebEx. Additionally, a second Work Study session on the program will be held during the February Board meeting, following a regular business session.”
ABC15 requested an interview with board members from the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation but they declined our request.
