BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The second heat wave of the season is here which means that some local cooling centers have opened their doors to help keep people safe.
The cooling centers like the one in East Bakersfield open when the weather hits a certain high. Locally in Bakersfield that’s 105 degrees and higher which is why some are open. When it comes to Kern County's mountain communities it has to be 93 degrees or higher and in desert areas, it has to be at least 108 degrees.
The centers also provide water, light snacks, and sometimes, games and entertainment.
Michele Timmerman, the program coordinator with Kern County Aging and Adult Services says the centers provide resources to help prevent deaths from heat illness.
“We typically find that they are not utilized as much as we would hope they would be, but there are individuals that again for them, they either can’t run their AC, they don’t have it, it's very important for them to know it's available. And we also offer transportation if they can’t get to a cooling center so that is available as well we coordinate that."
The cooling centers open Monday include the Arvin Community Center, the East Bakersfield Veterans Building, the Mission at Kern County and the Walker Senior Center in Shafter.
They stay open until 8 p.m.
While the centers are run by the county they are funded with the help of PG&E and SoCal Edison.
