In response to recent heat waves, members of Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NVAC) spoke with The Newtown Bee recently about heat related illness prevention and awareness.

Michelle Greenspan, the chair of training and former chief of NVAC, and Gavin Arneth, a former assistant chief and current staff EMT, want to ensure residents are aware of the dangers of heat and use that knowledge to look out for one another in these conditions.

Greenspan said extreme heat can sneak up on anyone. It can also intensify underlying or preexisting conditions.

“It takes 10-14 days for you to get comfortable with any sort of temperature change,” she explained. “For us to wake up and all of a sudden be hot, it's a shock, but then our body doesn't necessarily fall to the ground.

“It's sneaky, it catches up with you, and by that point it's too late,” she added.

Greenspan and Arneth highlighted the importance of staying hydrated, as well as taking a number of other precautions to avoid succumbing to heat-related health concerns.

“You have to listen to your body. Even though you don't want to hydrate, don’t wait. You have to take those little sips and stay hydrated constantly before it steamrolls and slowly catches up to you,” Arneth said.

Taking breaks and finding shade are especially important when spending extended periods of time outdoors, and in direct heat. Try to spend time outdoors in the early morning, and before the temperature picks up.

Greenspan added, “It doesn't take much; it doesn't necessarily have to be a 100-degree heat wave index day to have any of these heat-related illnesses. As soon as you push yourself too much and overheat, it can still happen on a moderately hot day.”

Arneth explained what to do if someone sees a person experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion.

“If you see somebody that's dizzy, really sweating a lot, they feel a little woozy, immediately get them in a cool place and sat down. Cool them off as quickly as possible,” he said.

Families with children who play an outdoor sport should remain attentive to their children in these conditions as teams begin their season.

“If you’re a parent on the sidelines or you’re a coach, you got to be keeping an eye on people,” Arneth said. “We all know some of our children are a little stubborn and tend to not drink when they should and not listen to their body because they really want to impress the coach and push, but that can come with a price if you're not careful.”

Extreme conditions such as the recent heat wave often sound nonthreatening, though the heat can raise issues for those who overexert themselves or have underlying conditions. These conditions require precautions such as consistent hydration, breaks from the sun, and staying in cool environments when possible.

“I think it goes back to community, which is what we’re all about,” Arneth remarked. “You’ve got to check on each other. If you have an elderly family member that's living alone, make sure their air conditioning’s working, make sure they are staying hydrated.”

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Emily Braun is a journalism major at Fordham University interning with The Newtown Bee this summer. She can be contacted through editor@thebee.com.

Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps Chair of Training Michelle Greenspan and EMT Gavin Arneth want to ensure residents are aware of the dangers of heat and use that knowledge to look out for one another in these conditions. —Bee Photo, Braun