Safety Tips for Weekend Heat Wave
  

1. Slow down. Avoid strenuous activity. If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the morning between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors and use a buddy system when working in extreme heat.
2. Stay indoors as much as possible. Air conditioning provides the safest escape from extreme heat; ensure that your air conditioning unit is properly installed and cleaned. If air conditioning is not available, stay on the lowest floor, out of the sunshine. Try to go to a public building with air conditioning, such as the library, movie theater or shopping mall, each day for a few hours. Remember, electric fans do not cool the air, but they do help sweat evaporate, which cools your body.
3. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Light colors will reflect away some of the sun's energy.
4. Drink plenty of water regularly and often. Your body needs water to keep cool even if you don't feel thirsty. Store extra water at home and in your car. Remember, every household should be prepared with enough water on hand for any type of emergency, not just a heat wave. Stock one gallon of water per person per day for use for 72 hours.
5. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them . Water is the safest liquid to drink during heat emergencies.
6. Eat small meals and eat more often. Avoid foods that are high in protein, which increase metabolic heat.
7. Be a good neighbor . During heat waves, check in on family, friends and elderly neighbors who do not have air conditioning or who spend time alone.
8. Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles , where temperatures can reach more than 140 degrees in just minutes on a hot day.
9. Keep your pets cool, too. Pets should stay cool inside or in a cool, shaded area. Offer them plenty of water.
10. Avoid using salt tablets unless directed to do so by a physician.

Learn to recognize heat-related illness symptoms and how to treat heat emergencies :

• Heat cramps : Muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion. They are usually the first sign that the body is having a hard time coping with the heat. Treatment: Retire to a cool area, rest, stretch and drink a half a glass of water every 15 minutes.
• Heat exhaustion: Cool, moist, pale, or flushed skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body temperature will be near normal. Treatment : Get the person out of the heat and into a cooler place. Remove or loosen tight clothing and apply cool, wet cloths, such as towels or sheets. If the person is conscious, give cool water to drink. Make sure the person drinks slowly. Give a half glass of cool water every 15 minutes. Do not give liquids that contain alcohol or caffeine. Let the victim rest in a comfortable position, and watch carefully for changes in his or her condition.
• Heat stroke: Hot, red skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be very high as high as 105 degrees F. If the person was sweating from heavy work or exercise, skin may be wet; otherwise, it will feel dry. Treatment: Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation. Help is needed fast. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body. Immerse victim in a cool bath, or wrap wet sheets around the body and fan it. Watch for signals of breathing problems. Keep the person lying down and continue to cool the body any way you can. If the victim refuses water or is vomiting or there are changes in the level of consciousness, do not give anything to eat or drink.

For emergency and first aid kits, CPR and first aid training, and to learn how you can be properly trained, empowered and prepared to handle heat-related emergencies, contact the American Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter by calling 503-284-1234 or by visiting www.redcross-pdx.org .

The American Red Cross has helped people mobilize to help their neighbors for 125 years. Last year, victims of a record 72,883 disasters, most of them fires, turned to the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross for help and hope. Through more than 800 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people each year gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Almost 4 million people give blood—the gift of life—through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of more than 180 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.