By Matt Roy
Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

Typically, during the onset of monsoon season and the rising humidity which accompanies late-summer, Valley residents get some relief to the triple-digit heat suffered through in July and early August.

But record-high temperatures this week prompted warnings this week about potential health risks, including heat exhaustion, heat stroke — and even death.

“Not really anything to brag about but here it is at 2:03 p.m.,” the National Weather Service stated on its Twitter feed Tuesday as the mid-day temperature reached 113 degrees, topping the previous record high of 112 set in 1986.

As of yesterday, @NWS Phoenix forecast a coming cooling trend and potential relief from the scorching heat, but officials still warned of continued danger.

“We will finally get a cooling trend as moisture increases across the area beginning today, but not before a day of lingering moderate heat risk today with a high of 109 degrees expected in Phoenix.  Keep the kids hydrated at school,” the agency Tweeted Thursday morning.

Renewed warnings

The high heat this week prompted officials at the Maricopa Integrated Health System to issue a their own warning on Tuesday as well.

And in an effort to prevent heatstroke and save lives, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office reiterated the messages of its Vehicular Heat Stroke Campaign, which runs annually from May 8 through the end of August in partnership with Phoenix Children’s Hospital and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

While the campaign and regional temperatures typically wind down as Labor Day approaches, this week’s record highs prompted their renewed safety concerns.

“We are about to enter the last week of our Vehicular Heatstroke Campaign and we must continue to push the ‘Don’t Leave Me Behind’ message because we are still seeing incidents of children and pets being left in parked cars,” stated Amanda Steele, a spokeswoman for MCAO. “Luckily, we have not seen these incidents become tragic, thanks in many cases to the intervention of Good Samaritans, and we are encouraged by our community’s heightened awareness and willingness to take action when needed.”

Earlier this month, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery spoke to Daily Independent to emphasize the dangers and remind readers that tragic deaths and injuries are, in most cases, easily preventable.

“For about the last six years we’ve had a concerted effort to try and prevent vehicular heat stroke among children and pets within the county because it’s so easily preventable,” Mr. Montgomery said. “Last year we had zero. The year before that we had two. The year before that we had zero. The years we had zero really underscore the fact that we can, through education and awareness, prevent a lot of these.”

He said only one child fatality had been reported so far this year, which occurred in May when the weather was slightly cooler — but just as deadly.

This points out the risk of assuming because the temperature may be cooling, we can let our guard down. The risks of injury to those left inside a car unattended are still very real, Mr. Montgomery said.

Even while we’re enjoying the comfortably cool 60s later in the year or when a car is parked under shade, inside an enclosed automobile, the ambient temperature can quickly soar above 110 degrees, nonetheless. A child or pet trapped in such a vehicle faces even greater risks during these lingering summer months when outside temperatures soar toward 120 degrees.

In each of the incidents since May, the children were saved when bystanders stepped in and called for help, according to Mr. Montgomery.

“Thank God, during the period of this campaign we haven’t lost any children or pets,” he said. “Out of six incidents involving kids who have been left in cars, five were on the west side and we had one in Mesa this week. But all the other ones were in Surprise, Goodyear and Glendale. We averted tragedy in each of those cases because there was a Good Samaritan who saw children in the cars and contacted authorities.”

The county attorney’s website — www.safekidsaz.org —offers the following prevention tips:

• Never leave a child or an animal alone in a parked car — even with the windows rolled down or air conditioning on.

• Always check the back of the vehicle before locking the door and walking away.

• Never let children play in an unattended vehicle.

• Always lock your vehicle doors and trunk and keep the keys out of a child’s reach. If a child is missing, quickly check all vehicles, including their trunks.

• If dropping a child off is not part of your normal routine, take steps to remind yourself that the child is in the car.

Some examples of reminders are: placing something you need to take with you in the back seat next to the car seat so that you’ll check the back seat before you leave; set a reminder on a cell phone or calendar; or instruct your daycare provider to call you if your child does not show up.

Understandably, pets face the same risks as children when left unattended in hot cars. But others face dangers at home, as well, especially unattended seniors, the indigent and those living on the streets.

Local resources

When temperatures soar, even short power outages can pose a threat to those with mobility and health concerns.

Just yesterday, Arizona Public Service reported multiple temporary outages across the Valley, including some scheduled for maintenance as in Youngtown, where 11 homes lost power from 9 a.m. until noon.

(APS provides an interactive daily map of scheduled and emergency power outages.)

In nearby Surprise and Peoria, city officials are standing by to help those in need and try to prevent heat-related injuries.

“Finding the right resources at the right time can be challenging. The city of Surprise, in partnership with the city of Peoria, has assembled a Community Resource Guide to connect people to resources,” stated Seth Dyson, director of the city of Surprise Human Services and Community Vitality Department.

Mr. Dyson clarified anyone in imminent danger should call 9-1-1 immediately.

But those seeking other help — such as temporary assistance to pay a utility bill or avoid eviction – staffers can help connect area residents to social agencies and programs at their office in city’s Original Town Site, 15832 N. Hollyhock St., Surprise.

“A number of social, human and workforce services are available through the Surprise Resource Center. The center is important to the community because it aims to improve the quality of life for our residents by meeting their current needs and helping them build towards a better future,” Mr. Dyson stated.

The Surprise Resource Center can also provide water and emergency food boxes for eligible households, including seniors during hours of operation, he added.

City officials in Surprise and Peoria last year unveiled their community resource guide, which is available in print and digital download.

The 44-page booklet provides information and contacts for hundreds of agencies and groups and is presented in both English and Spanish editions.

Call 623-222-1500 or visit surpriseaz.gov to learn more.

Local cities also partner with the county and Salvation Army officials as part of the Heat Relief Regional Network.

Network partners provide free water and shade for those in need at locations all across the Valley. In Surprise, for instance, the city’s fire stations are hosting both water and shade relief for anyone who needs it.

Locations of hydration stations, heat refuges and emergency stations, as well as collection sites for water donations county-wide, are cited on an interactive map at maricopa.gov.

Healthy concerns

Excessive temperatures also pose real risks to the young and able-bodied, even early in the day, MIHS officials warned in their Tuesday morning press release.

“With school in session, student athletes and band members are outside practicing for football and cross-country season. And as temperatures reach over 110 degrees this week, MIHS physicians warn that heat exhaustion can be deadly,” agency officials stated.

“Even though many of the practices are held before sunrise or after sunset, there is still a risk for injuries that directly correspond to the heat,” said Dan Quan, DO, Interim Chair of Emergency Medicine at MIHS’s Maricopa Medical Center.

Strenuous activity, when combined with high humidity and heat, can cause dehydration and heat exhaustion, which can lead to heat stroke.

During the life-threatening condition, the body’s natural cooling system shuts down and the resulting internal temperature spike can cause potentially permanent organ and brain damage or, in some cases, death.

“Even though many of the practices are held before sunrise or after sunset, there is still a risk for injuries that directly correspond to the heat,” stated Dan Quan, D.O., interim chair of emergency medicine at MIHS’s Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix. “Most people lose as much as one to two quarts of fluid during an hour of exercise. When you’re not drinking enough fluids, your muscles tire quickly, and you may have leg cramps while walking or running.”

Some signs of heat stroke include:

• Red, hot and moist or dry skin.

• Not sweating.

• Strong, rapid pulse or slow, weak pulse.

• Throbbing headache.

• Dizziness.

• Nausea.

• Confusion.

• Irritable or strange behavior.

For pets, warning signs can include: loud, rapid panting; excessive thirst; vomiting or diarrhea; seizures; glazed eyes; weakness or collapse.

For any adult, child or pet showing signs of heatstroke, get medical attention immediately.

Those who see a child or pet locked in a hot car should call 9-1-1 before attempting to access the vehicle.