Salem is looking for about 100 residents willing to spend an hour driving through their own city with temperature sensors, collecting data that will shape where cooling resources go in the years ahead.

The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce posted a call for volunteers on Tuesday, July 7, for the Salem Heat Watch Campaign. The effort pairs everyday residents with sensors that record temperature and humidity along designated driving routes throughout the community. Volunteers sign up as either a Driver or a Navigator, and each route takes roughly one hour to complete.

The city is working with Portland-based CAPA Strategies to turn the collected data into a heat map pinpointing Salem's most vulnerable blocks, according to Salem Reporter. The finished map will guide future investments in tree canopy, cooling centers, and other heat-mitigation projects.

Why it matters

Oregon's 2021 heat dome killed more than 100 people statewide, including 69 in Multnomah County alone. Most victims died indoors, often alone, in homes without adequate air conditioning, according to OregonLive reporting from June 2026. Salem's campaign aims to identify which neighborhoods trap the most heat before the next dangerous stretch arrives.

The Chamber's announcement calls volunteers "street scientists." Specific campaign driving days have not yet been announced.

How to get involved

  • Role: Driver or Navigator (no experience needed)
  • Time commitment: Approximately one hour per campaign day
  • Sign up: The Chamber's announcement directs interested residents to salemchamber.org for the volunteer interest form

The campaign is expected to wrap up later in 2026, according to Salem Reporter.

Upcoming Salem community events

  • Friday, July 10 — Fun Friday Event, 3 p.m., Northgate Park, 3260 Northgate Street NE
  • Saturday, July 11 — Hispanic Night Market, 4–7 p.m., 3282 Silverton Road NE
  • Tuesday, July 21 — Wellness Fair (Oregon DOT), 10 a.m.–2 p.m., State Capitol State Park, 725 Summer Street NE
  • Thursday, July 30 — Salem Health Fair, 1–6 p.m., Lancaster Family Health Center, 255 Lancaster Drive NE
  • Tuesday, August 4 — National Night Out, numerous city locations
  • Saturday, August 8 — Englewood Forest Festival, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Englewood Park, 1260 19th Street NE
  • Saturday, August 22 — Saturday Market, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., 800 Union Street NE