Safety concerns arise in Phoenix as temperatures climb into 100s

PHOENIX — With Phoenix setting a daily heat record over the weekend, safety officials want residents to make sure they are prepared for the triple digits.

“Our concern within the community is when we hit triple digits this quickly early in the year is that we’re not acclimated to it yet,” Phoenix Fire Captain Rob McDade said.

Phoenix reached 102 degrees Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, a record for the date and the first of many triple-digit days of 2020.

With gyms, movie theaters and other indoor entertainment venues ordered closed to restrict the spread of the coronavirus, more people have been opting to venture outside for recreation. But the temperature hadn’t climbed above the 80s until last week.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Temperatures are near and passing 100 degrees this week. Minimize risk with outdoor activity and stay well within your physical abilities. Have enough water for the duration of your exercise and stop if you set your goals to high. Live to try back another day!

A post shared by Phoenix Fire Department (@phoenixfiredepartment) on Apr 26, 2020 at 2:42pm PDT

“Our concern is that people are going to do regular activities that they’ve been doing, but now it’s triple digits,” McDade said.

The best way to prepare for outdoor activities in the Arizona heat is to start early and hydrate the night before.

As the temperature climbs, the dangers go beyond the threat of heat exhaustion.

“We want people to get in the habit now of always checking their back seat for children or pets,” McDade said. “It’s barely almost May, but we know what these months have in store.”

Arizona saw four hot car deaths in 2019, double the number from the previous year.

The Phoenix Fire Department traditionally kicks off its water safety campaign in mid-May, but a tragic reminder over the weekend indicated it doesn’t matter what month it is when it comes to children around water.

On Saturday night, Phoenix fire crews rushed a 2-year-old boy, who’d been pulled from a pool, to a hospital in extremely critical condition. It’s unclear how long the child was underwater.

McDade recommends anyone with young children to do an extra safety sweep around their house to ensure there’s no way to access water.

“If you have a doggy door, make sure the slider is down,” he said. “If you have a pool, make sure the gate is locked, and the doors, too.”

KTAR News and Fulton Homes want to remind you that two seconds is too long to take your eyes off kids near water. Click here to learn more about this campaign.

Follow @Ali_Vetnar