Summer and summertime holidays, like the Fourth of July, can be a fun time outside, but it can also be dangerous because of the hot weather and fireworks.
Jamie Hennessee, a local paramedic, has tips on how to be safe. With the hot temperatures we’re seeing, Hennessee said people need to be making sure they’re drinking water to stay hydrated.
“Limit your exposure to the heat outside,” Hennessee said. “Perhaps, go outside for a little while, find some shade, hang out, and then go back in and just kinda play with it there and not be too exposed all day long.”
Hennessee said babies and the elderly are the most vulnerable to the heat because their bodies can’t regulate as well. Finally, she says to make sure there is supervision if people are swimming.
“We need to make sure we’re not partaking in any alcoholic beverages, and we need to watch the children,” Hennessee said. “Anything could happen. You need to have a safety-appointed person at any pool and keep an eye out.”
As for fireworks, Hennessee said her best advice is to leave it to the professionals. She said young children and teenagers are most likely to get hurt.
“Just because they’re teenagers doesn’t mean they don’t need a little bit of supervision because sometimes teenagers do a little bit more risky behavior than others,” Hennessee said. “It’s really important to watch children when they’re doing these things. Don’t forget that a sparkler burns at about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, so that’s a lot of heat there to cause some injuries to your kids.”
If you choose to do fireworks, she encourages people to have water or a fire extinguisher nearby along with a plan in case things go wrong. She said they typically see injuries to the hands and face.
“A lot of times, people will get the firecrackers, and they hang on to them a little bit too long, and so it bursts in their hands,” she said. “Every once in a while, we’ll see people get into Roman candle fights, and so forth, and so we really don’t encourage the holding of fireworks.”
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