Hot weather ushers in summer

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Temperatures today and tomorrow are forecast to reach nearly 100 degrees.

While it is a great way to herald the first day of summer, these temperature can also be dangerous.

Currently, there are no plans to open any cooling centers in Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, or Prospect.

Beacon Hose Company No. 1 spokesman Jeremy Rodorigo said the beacon Falls Senior Center is always ready to be used as a cooling station. If there is a demand for it, he said it can be up and running quickly.

Prospect Mayor Robert Chatfield and Naugatuck Deputy Fire Chief Ellen Murray said that there are no current plans to open cooling centers in their respective towns as of this post.

The hot weather is forecasted to break by 8 p.m. Thursday, according to National Weather Service.

Rodorigo provided the following list of heat safety tips:

  • Never leave a child, elderly person or pet unattended in a motor vehicle, even with a window slightly open. On a typically sunny day, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach potentially deadly levels within a few minutes.
  • When restraining children in a car that has been parked in the heat, check to make sure seating surfaces and equipment such as car seats and seat belt buckles are not overly hot.
  • Know the warning signs of heat stroke. These include an extremely high body temperature of above 103 degrees, red, hot and dry skin with no sweating, rapid, strong pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, and unconsciousness.
  • Those at the greatest risk for heat-related illness include infants, children up to four years old, adults age 65 and older, people who are overweight, people who are ill, and those on certain medications.
  • During hot weather drink more liquid than your thirst indicates. Avoid drinks containing alcohol or caffeine because they will cause you to lose more fluid.
  • Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
  • Apply sunscreen 30 minutes prior to going outdoors and continue to reapply periodically.  Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool itself and causes a loss of body fluids.
  • Some medications can increase the risk of heat-related illness. The risk may increase for those using psychotropics such as haloperidol or chlorpromazine, medications for Parkinson’s Disease, and tranquilizers such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones and thiozanthenes.
  • To protect your health when temperatures are extremely high remember to keep cool and use common sense.  Drink plenty of fluids, replace salts and minerals, wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen, pace yourself, stay indoors in cool places, schedule outdoor activities carefully, use a buddy system to monitor those at risk and adjust to the environment.
  • If a person sees someone suffering from heat stroke, he or she should call 9-1-1 immediately. The victim should be moved to a shady area or cooled rapidly using whatever methods possible, such as immersing the victim in a cool shower or bath, spraying the victim with cool water from a garden hose, sponging the victim with cool water, or, if the humidity is low, wrapping the victim in a wet sheet and fanning him/her vigorously. The person assisting the victim should monitor body temperature and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101 or 102 degrees. The victim should not be given any alcohol to drink.