No Heat-Related Ambulance Calls In Hoboken On Sunday

Things are heating up in Hoboken, but luckily, one of the hottest days this summer didn’t cause any injuries.

Despite temperatures that reached up to 93 degrees in Hoboken on Sunday, the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps didn’t respond to any heat-related calls that day, President Thomas F. Molta told Patch.

• See related article: The Heat Is On, Hoboken

But that doesn’t mean that residents shouldn’t be prepared to beat the heat with the below tips.

NJ DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

The NJ Department of Health released a heat advisory warning on Monday.

“With temperatures expected to reach into 90s over the next few days, the DOH is encouraging residents to take steps to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke,” the alert stated.

“Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition and heat exhaustion can also require hospital care,” stated Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd. “In extremely hot weather, it is vital to drink plenty of fluids, spend time in cool places and reduce or reschedule any physical activity. And please remember to check on elderly family members and neighbors to make sure they are safe.”

According to the DOH, prolonged heat and humidity can present a serious health hazard, especially for young children, the elderly and persons taking certain medications.

To avoid health complications from excessive heat:

• Drink plenty of water or other non-alcoholic beverages.
• Make sure children and the elderly are drinking water, and ensure that persons with mobility problems have adequate fluids in easy reach.
• Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays
• Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher and both UVA and UVB protection
• If you do not have air conditioning, spend time in air-conditioned places such as libraries, movies, malls or other public buildings during the hottest hours of the day. Check with your municipality to see if cooling centers are available.
• Wear loose and light-colored clothing. Wear a hat when outdoors.
• Avoid any outdoor activity during the hottest hours of the day. Reduce physical activity or reschedule it for cooler times of the day (early morning or evening).
• Don’t leave children, a frail elderly or disabled person, or pets in an enclosed car -- not even for a minute -- as temperatures can quickly climb to dangerous levels.
• Talk to your health care provider about any medicine or drugs you are taking. Certain medications -- such as tranquilizers and drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease -- can increase the risk of heat-related illness.
• People suffering heatstroke can go from appearing normal to extremely ill in a matter of minutes. Victims may have hot, dry skin, a high body temperature of 106 degrees or more, an absence of sweat, and a rapid and strong pulse. Victims may become delirious or unconscious. Persons suffering from heatstroke need immediate medical attention.
• Heat exhaustion is a milder illness that may take several days of high temperatures to develop. Victims may have pale, clammy skin and sweat profusely. They may feel tired, weak or dizzy and have headaches or sometimes cramps, but their body temperature will remain close to normal.

OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent out an advisory on Monday, reminding employers to protect their workers from heat illness.

“If a job requires working long hours outdoors during the summer, the employer should take necessary (and easy to provide) steps to keep workers safe, including: scheduling frequent water breaks, providing shaded areas, scheduling frequent water breaks, providing shaded areas and allowing enough time to rest.”

“Remember this simple message to prevent heat illness… Water. Rest. Shade.”

Employers and employees can also use OSHA’s free Heat Safety Tool App to calculate the heat index for a worksite.

PSE&G

Here are some easy ways customers can save energy and money throughout the summer:

• Turn off everything you’re not using: lights, TVs, computers, etc. Use dimmers, timers and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.
• Close blinds, shades and draperies facing the sun to keep the sun’s heat out and help fans and air conditioners cool more efficiently.
• Close doors leading to uncooled parts of your home. With central air, close off vents to unused rooms.
• Delay heat-producing tasks such as washing and drying laundry or dishes until later in the day, and wait until load is full.
• Refrain from using nonessential appliances. Unplug or use only when necessary an extra refrigerator in your garage. Also, customers should consider setting their air conditioners to 78 degrees, health permitting.
• If you experience a power outage, call PSE&G’s Customer Service line: 1-800-436-PSEG.

File photo via Flickr