Use them or lose them: Could communities stop opening cooling centers?

With temperatures forecast to soar to dangerous levels this week, several cooling centers are opening to provide people a place to go to get out of the sun.However, in many cases, very few people actually take advantage of the centers, no matter how hot it gets, and that could actually mean some of them don't open again in the future.The Maine Emergency Management Agency helps track and monitor cooling — and warming — centers, but they are also tracking a problem."Attendance is very low and if it continues to be low, these municipalities, organizations, may decide 'we're not going to open this time' because maybe only three people showed up last time," Vanessa Corson of MEMA said.Cooling centers typically open when temperatures are forecast to climb above the mid-80s. They provide shelter and safety from the heat as well as essentials like water and bathrooms."The people who may need these centers aren't necessarily going, for whatever reason, maybe they can't get there, or they're just too proud," Corson said.If some communities and groups decide to stop opening centers because of low attendance, people who really do need the services will be forced to travel further to get relief, if there is even a center available."Maine residents are very able-bodied people, and it's hard to ask for help or to go somewhere and say, 'Hey, I need assistance,'" Corson said. "So, when it comes to warming centers in the winter or cooling centers in the summer, sometimes people say, 'Well, I'll just tough it out.' But if you need these resources you need to know where these shelters are so you can go to either cool off or warm up."You can always call 211 to ask for the center nearest to you. Maine's Total Coverage will also list them on our website as often as possible.