Crime & Safety

Fairfax County Rescuers Dealing With Heat-Related Illness Calls

Friday temperatures in NOVA expected to reach 100, and feel close to 117 degrees with heat index

The calls for help from those feeling the effects of the heat since Wednesday are coming in at a steady pace, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue officials say.

Dan Schmidt, spokesman for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, said the department has received several calls since Wednesday from people with symptoms of heat exhaustion — nausea, dehydration, headaches and disorientation. On Wednesday, five people were transported for symptoms of heat exhaustion and several others Thursday, as there is not yet an official total for Thursday.

“It’s hard to tell if it’s heat-related at first,” Schmidt said. “They will call in because they’re not feeling well but they have symptoms of heat exhaustion.”

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Schmidt said the county’s 42 ambulances and medical units respond to about 200 medical calls a day, some because of heat-related symptoms. Each fire unit also has a paramedic on board. Schmidt said the county has both basic and advanced life support ambulances that can be dispatched for medical calls.

Since Wednesday, temperatures have soared into the mid- to high-90s, while the heat index has made temperatures feel like more than 100 degrees. On Friday, Northern Virginia temperatures are expected to be around 101 degrees, but feel like close to 117 degrees with the heat index, the National Weather Service said.

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As temperatures rise, so do the phone calls for help, Schmidt said. He said there is a definite uptick in the calls from people who overexert themselves. People who have overdone it and have dehydrated are some of the bigger problems.

“They get out there and overexert themselves,” Schmidt said. “Water is the best fluid to take in to keep cool and stay hydrated.”


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