List of cooling shelters in the region, safety tips for near-record heat

Temperatures on Tuesday could set a new record in Fort Wayne, surpassing the previous record of 96° set in 1948.

To help residents keep a cool head, the region’s districts offer everyone the use of the following cooling centers:

• Adams County:
  • Decatur Centers:
    • Adams County Service Complex (Annex): East End Gym Area, 313 W Jefferson St.
      • Open: Monday to Thursday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
    • Riverside Center: 231 E Monroe St.
      • Open: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    • Decatur City Hall172 N 2nd Street
      • Open: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
    • Adams Memorial Hospital1100 Mercer Ave.
    • Adams Decatur Public Library128 S 3rd St.
      • Open: Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Berne centers:
    • Swiss Village (main lobby): 1350 W Main St.
      • Open Monday-Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
    • Bern City Library: 166 Sprunger St.
      • Open Monday-Friday from 10am to 6pm, Saturday from 10am to 2pm
  • Geneva centres:
    • Geneva City Hall: 411 E Line St.
      • Open Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday from 8am to 4pm, Wednesday from 8am to 12pm
      • Geneva Public Library305 E Line St.
        • Monday-Wednesday 10am to 5pm, Thursday 10am to 8pm, Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 12pm
• Allen County:
• Lagrange County:
  • LaGrange County Public Library Main Branch203 W. Spring St.
    • Open Tuesdays from 9am to 8pm
    • LaGrange County Public Library, Topeka Branch133 N. Main St.
      • Tuesday open from 11am – 6pm

Do you have a cold storage facility you would like to add to the list? Send an email to [email protected] be added.

With high temperatures forecast, an Indiana State Police spokesperson is reminding Indiana residents to be careful about what they leave in unattended, hot cars.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 970 children have died of heat stroke over the past 25 years because they were left or trapped in a hot car:

• A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s. If a child is left in a vehicle, their temperature can rise quickly – and the situation can quickly become dangerous.

• Heat stroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 40 degrees Celsius.
• A child can die if his body temperature reaches 41.6 °C.
• In 2023, 29 children died of heat stroke in vehicles.
• In 2018 and 2019, there were a record number of deaths from overheated cars – 53 children died each year – the highest number in at least 25 years, according to NoHeatstroke.org.Everyone can help prevent deaths from overheated cars

To prevent such tragedies, officials offered the following hot weather safety tips:

• Never leave a child unattended in a car for long periods of time. The temperature inside the vehicle can hardly be changed by rolling down the windows or parking in the shade.
• Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle, especially the back seat, before locking the doors and leaving.
• Ask your daycare center to call if your child does not show up for care when expected.
• Place a personal item such as a purse or briefcase in the back seat to remind yourself to check before locking. Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger seat to remind yourself that a child is in the back seat.
• Keep car keys out of the reach of children and teach them that a car is not a playground.

Police recommend calling 911 immediately if you see a child alone in a locked car. More information from the NHTSA can be found here.

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