PETERSBURG, Va. -- As the sun made its way across the rooftops of Petersburg, city leaders realized the Petersburg Area Transit Building they use as a cooling station could not be used due to problems with the air conditioning.
Tracey Chandler, who runs Heavenly Hands Soul Food inside the Transit Building, said the air conditioning has been out since the spring.
For the past few days, while warm inside, Chandler understands it’s worse outside. So she has been leading a hand to help others.
“People off the street, they’re asking for ice, water, cups of ice," she said.
Because the building could not be used as a cooling center, Petersburg Police made a quick decision to hand out water to help those outside in the intense heat.
Officers on patrol Friday morning heard the request over their radios asking them to stop by the city's Parks and Recreation Department to pick up a cooler stocked with ice and bottled water.
Officers like Wesley Burns hit the streets looking for folks who needed a cool drink.
About 10 minutes after grabbing his cooler, Burns was stopped on the side of the road with the hatch of his SUV open.
“Alright sir, here you go," he said to a stranger. "Stay Hydrated, stay cool."
In Old Towne Petersburg Officer Polly Griffin gave out water to three men sitting and talking under a large tree.
Fanned out across the historic city, officers looked for anyone in heat-related distress.
Not two minutes after handing out his first bottles, Burns spotted another person.
With a Heat Advisory is in effect through Saturday evening, and the heat index topping least 100 with the possibility of exceeding 105. a bottle of water is simply what some people needed.
When Officer Polly Griffin was asked about her newly-added assignment, on top of patrolling the streets, she said she loves interacting with people.
“It’s giving back to the community, it’s what people want," Griffin said. "People want to see the police out here interacting with people, not just passing by [and] not just when a crime is committed."
Most of the stops were less than a minute, which was just time enough to hand out a cold water.
“That was good, that was excellent," John Trotter Jr., who received a bottle of water, said. "We needed that."
Officer Burns also believes helping out is an important aspect of his job.
“I drive around a lot. I see people struggling, hungry, especially on a day like this that’s hot," Burns said. "So it’s nice to take the opportunity to pass out water and help some people."
Chief of Police Travis Christian said the gesture is “inline with just being a good human."
“It’s a small gesture, but it was something that we decided as a team, and police department, that it was the right thing for us to do," Christian said.
Late Friday afternoon, city officials announced the comfort station inside Petersburg Area Transit Building would be open to the public through the end of summer.
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