For the last several years, the City of Longmont’s Office of Sustainability has worked to identify various climate risks and solutions within the city. Extreme heat, they determined, is the most urgent climate risk in Longmont. In response to this, the city has launched a new “cooling tent” — a regular 10’x10’ canopy that is affixed with patio misters and manned by volunteers who help citizens cool off.
“The tent provides a great way for us to engage with folks at events,” said Zachary Lance, sustainability coordinator for the City of Longmont. “Not only can they cool off, literally, but they can learn about how to keep themselves, their homes, and their neighborhood cool.”
In addition to the misters, the cooling tent also provides free cooling towels, cold drinking water and electrolytes, and information about how to keep houses cool efficiently, without wasting electricity. Volunteers are always stationed inside of the tent to help citizens navigate its amenities.
Lance said that guests can also vote on their favorite city cooling solutions while using the tent, which include things like tree planting, water features, green space, cool pavement, and more. “The votes inform our work and help us get a sense of what the community wants,” he said.
The cooling tent was first launched in May and has appeared at Longmont events such as Cinco de Mayo, Longmont Pride, and Juneteenth. Lance said that the city plans to have the tent at Unity in the Community and Rhythm at Roosevelt later this year. Additionally, the tent may appear at the Longmont Museum’s Thursday evening concerts if the city can attract enough volunteers.
Longmont citizens can volunteer for shifts at the cooling tent online. Two volunteers are stationed within the tent, guiding event guests and educating about how to keep people's homes cool without wasting energy. Detailed training is provided for all volunteers, which includes a training video and a short quiz.
“The tent has been incredibly popular at hot summer events and draws a lot of people over,” Lance said. “[It] will be an asset by providing a cool refuge at summer events, as well as by helping people learn how to be safe, comfortable, and energy efficient during heat waves.”
In addition to the cooling tent, Kensington and Lanyon Parks are also being affixed with new cooling amenities like shade structures, swings, gathering spaces, and water elements as a result of the city’s work on summer cooling solutions.
