MESA, AZ — Arizona State University researchers and mobile homeowners teamed up to release life-saving guidelines for mobile home parks and residents.
Kath Noble has been on a mission to make sure mobile homeowners don’t roast in the summer, especially during emergency power outages.
Noble said many older park models and RVs do not have adequate insulation and stay hot, despite AC and other heat mitigation measures.
Excessive Heat: Everything you need to know to stay cool, safe
“As soon as the power goes out, your house starts warming up immediately,” Noble said.
Nearly a year ago, during scorching temperatures, her large mobile home park in Mesa lost power.
“Everybody was very concerned, because the temperature was really hot, it was over 110,” Noble said. “There were several people that did need to be taken to the hospital.”
She realized more could be done in parks like hers to keep people safe.
“I started making a list and honestly, I was just using common sense,” Noble said.
That list turned into a partnership with ASU researchers coming up with heat action plan guidelines for what mobile home owners and parks could do before, during and after an outage.
They include creating a detailed emergency plan, identifying elderly and sick neighbors who would need wellness checks, finding a location for people to go with power and AC, and making sure everyone is on an emergency text, post or alert system.
“I think the light bulb for all of us was we need better means of communication that was number one on everything in an emergency,” Noble said.
ASU data shows that while only 5% of Maricopa County's housing is made up of mobile homes, their park residents make up 40% of all indoor heat-related deaths. “It’s a matter of saving lives.”
Noble says her park has already made many of these positive changes, she hopes others follow.
