North Texans are all too familiar with the region’s extreme heat.

The heat index frequently reaches triple digits in Dallas-Fort Worth during the summer months, and for the near 14,000 Dallas County households without air-conditioning, this heat can quickly become dangerous. 

Through its 17th annual Beat the Heat initiative, the city of Dallas is offering residents without reliable access to air-conditioning respite from brutal Texas summers. Cooling centers opened Tuesday at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center on Fish Trap Road and the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center on MLK Boulevard, supported by a partnership with Texas energy provider Reliant.

Residents are invited to visit these designated, air-conditioned spaces where they can hydrate and shade themselves from the summer’s temperatures. 

Residents can also apply to receive one of the 300 free portable cooling units Reliant has provided $25,000 in funding for, a news release from the city said. Applications will be accepted in person and over the phone. 

The city’s website also encourages residents to visit any local public facilities, including community centers, libraries and recreation centers, to cool off. The Dallas Public Library serves residents at 29 locations, and the Dallas Park and Recreation Department operates 42 recreation centers throughout the city. 

Beat the Heat is also happening in Fort Worth. The city’s four cooling centers opened June 3 and are located at Como Community Center on Horne Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center on Truman Drive, Northside Community Center on NW 18th Street and Worth Heights Community Center on New York Avenue. A $25,000 donation from Reliant will enable the distribution of 100 cooling units as well as water, a Reliant news release said. 

Reliant also offers support to residents facing difficulty paying their electricity bill through its CARE program.

The Senior Source, an organization supporting older adults in the Dallas area, is also working to distribute air-conditioning units to senior residents who do not have one in their home through its own Beat the Heat program, sponsored by TXU Energy. Its goal is to distribute 650 window air-conditioning units and 250 box fans to seniors this summer, according to its website. Seniors looking to receive a unit can register on the organization’s website at theseniorsource.org