TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Major Sally Davis with Leon County EMS said the heat wave in North Florida this week needs to be taken seriously.
She explained to ABC 27 the symptoms of heat exhaustion that people working or playing outside need to look for before it leads to heat stroke.
"If you start getting heat exhaustion and you don't take care of it or try to fight it, you're going to get a heat stroke," said Davis. "You know, we're looking for signs of heat exhaustion when they start getting the headaches, dizzy, maybe nauseated, they start to get confused, they're excessively sweating."
Davis said if you have to be outside for a long period of time, drink plenty of water-- and take frequent breaks.
For those who don't have a choice to be outside, however, the Kearney Center is opening up its doors for their clients facing homelessness.
"We're trying to educate our clients and letting them know that during this time, even if it doesn't feel hot when the humidity is up, that they need to stay hydrated," said Kearney Center Director Vicki Butler.
Butler said that although their center is usually closed during the day, during hot weather periods they open their doors to keep their 200 homeless clients cool and give them lessons on how to stay safe outside.
"If you're out in the streets and you don't have a way to cool off, then the likelihood of having a heat emergency is very.. is increased," said Butler.
Another vulnerable population needing help in the Big Bend, seniors.
Elder Care Services said they need the communities to help to keep their senior clients cool this week and throughout summer.
"To keep seniors cool we are collecting fans for seniors in Leon, Wakulla, and Gadsden Counties," said Fliger.
Elder Care CEO Jocelyne Fliger says they're looking for fans for 200 of their senior clients, adding that living on a fixed income, many seniors aren't able to afford to turn on their AC Units.
"Many of those expenses are set, and they're not able to incur that flux in charges," said Fliger.
