Phoenix Fire kicks off heat relief campaign with water donation drive

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Fire Department’s annual Heat Relief Campaign is off to a good start.

The management services company ADP in Tempe loaded a 48-foot flatbed semi with more than 16 pallets of water for Central Arizona Shelter Services on Friday.

Laura Lynn Smith, ADP’s division vice-president and general manager, said the company has done stuff for CASS before.

“In conversations with them (we) realized the need (for water),” Smith said. “And, our associates are passionate about social responsibility.”

Roger Stage is CASS’ chief operating officer. He said everyone must stay hydrated in summer — especially homeless people, many of whom do not have easy access to clean water.

“We go through about 200,000 bottles of water over the course of a summer,” he said.

“Clean water is essential. You’re not trying to make do with soft drinks or something like that — water is completely healthy.”

In Arizona, an average of 118 people die every year from excessive heat, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says symptoms can range from headaches to muscle cramps and nausea.

In serious cases a person can suffer seizures or die.

In hot, dry weather, the body can rapidly lose moisture as it tries to stay cool. If the liquid is not replaced, a person may suffer from thirst, dizziness, rapid heartbeat and breathing, sunken eyes and more.

WebMD.com says severe dehydration is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.

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