Safety Tips

• Slow down – you should reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities to the coolest time of the day.
• Dress for summer – Lightweight, light-colored clothing should be worn since it reflects heat and sunlight and helps maintain normal body temperatures.
• Eat properly – foods such as proteins increase metabolic heat production and can increase water loss.
• Drink fluids – your body needs lots of water to keep cool, so drink plenty of water or non-alcoholic fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty. However, persons who have epilepsy or heart, kidney or liver disease, who are on restrictive diets or have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their fluid intake.
• DO NOT drink alcoholic beverages.
• Stay Indoors – spend more time indoors in air-conditioned places, since this will reduce the danger form the heat and also decrease the chances of sunburn which makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult on the human body.

         Symptoms and First Aid

• Sunburn – Redness, pain and in severe cases swelling of skin, blisters, fever and headaches.
  
  
  
  • To treat, use ointments for mild cases and in the more severe cases apply a dry, sterile bandage to blisters and see physician.
• Heat Cramps – Painful spasm usually in the muscles of legs and abdomen with heavy sweating.
• To treat, put firm pressure on cramping muscles, gently massage to relieve spasms and take sips of water. However if nausea occurs, discontinue water use.
• Heat Exhaustion – Heavy sweating, weakness, cold skin, pale and clammy with a thready pulse, fainting and vomiting.
  
  
  
  • To treat, get victim out of the sun, lay them down and loosen clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths and fan victim or get them to an air-conditioned area. Give sips of water and if nausea occurs discontinue water usage. If there is vomiting and it does not subside, get victim immediate medical attention.
• Heat Stroke – High body temperature of 106 degrees F. or higher, hot and dry skin, a rapid and strong pulse with possible unconsciousness.
  
  
  
  • Treatment should be to immediately summon emergency medical assistance or get victim to a hospital immediately since any delay could be fatal.

           Neighbors Helping Neighbors

• Anytime during an extensive heat wave check on elderly or disabled neighbors, fuel your vehicles before sunrise and after sundown and do not use gas-powered tools during daylight hours.

           Pets

• Please remember that your pets can be affected by the heat, so you are asked to keep your pets indoors. But if they are outdoors, please check on them frequently and make sure they have access to shade and cool water.