Safety Tips to Protect Your Family and Pets from The Heat

By Jane Farrell

Heat and humidity can be silent killers for those who don’t take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones. Serious health concerns caused by extreme temperatures are heat exhaustion, heat stroke or even death.

“Children, the elderly, and pets are at the highest risk of overexposure to the heat,” says Keli Wilson, founder of AlertID, a neighborhood safety network. “Taking steps to prevent overheating and recognizing the symptoms of heat exhaustion are easy steps everyone can take this summer to beat the heat.”

To combat the record high temperatures this summer, Wilson offers the following tips:

Stay Hydrated: The rate at which the human body can absorb fluids is less than the rate it loses during extreme temperatures. Drinking beverages that contain sugar, caffeine or alcohol will only further dehydrate the human body.  Drink water regularly, even before you are thirsty, as thirst indicates dehydration. (Editor’s note: Make sure your pets stay hydrated, too, especially if you take them outside for a walk or a hike. Bring along a collapsible water bowl and a supply of water; make sure they drink regularly.)

Keep cool: If you don’t have AC at home, keep rooms as ventilated as possible. Consider going to a public pool, shopping mall or other air conditioned building. Even a few hours in air conditioning can help you stay cool before you go back in the heat. Wear cool, loose and lightweight clothing in light colors.

Limit Outdoor Activities: Try to limit outdoor activity to early morning or evening hours and avoid strenuous activity during the hottest hours of the day.

Avoid Harmful UV Rays: If it’s not possible to stay out of the sun, avoid harmful rays by wearing wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.

Never Leave A Person or A Pet in A Closed Vehicle: The temperature inside a closed vehicle can exceed 140 degrees within 30 minutes. Despite this clear danger, injuries and deaths among children, seniors, and pets occur every year.

Check on elderly loved ones and those with special needs: Extreme heat without AC can be especially dangerous for elderly and those with health issues, who are more affected by the heat.

Don’t Forget Your Pets: If pets absolutely need to stay outside, give them plenty of shade and water. Consider a small wading pool.

AlertID, the neighborhood safety network, is free to use and helps protect families and neighborhoods. AlertID’s mission is to help people live safely by providing a secure way to receive trusted public safety alerts and share information with family members and neighbors. AlertID uses technology to help citizens and federal, state and local authorities share information about crime, sex offenders, natural disasters, missing children and severe weather that can threaten public safety. AlertID is accessible to members online as well as by email and mobile app. For more information, visit www.AlertID.com.

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