LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Clark County firefighters have already experienced a surge in heat-related 911 calls since triple-digit temperatures soared in Southern Nevada, and explain how they cool patients down with life-saving measures.
“We have anything from heat cramps to heat exhaustion, all the way up to a life-threatening call, which is heatstroke. We slowly lower their body temperature down and bring them down to a normal body temperature,” said Jason Perlmutter, the EMS supervisor with the Clark County Fire Department.
When firefighters arrive on the scene, Perlmutter explains that crews get a patient out of the heat or into the back of an ambulance. There, they apply ice packs over a cloth to the neck, groin and armpits, and utilize an IV to replenish fluids.
“A paramedic or AEMT will go ahead and initiate IV therapy. We will start rehydrating them with fluids and rehydrate them on the way to the hospital. That way it’s easier for them to recover,” Perlmutter said.
Crews always urge hospital transport for heat-related calls for a better medical assessment.
Phoenix firefighters use ice immersion to cool down heatstroke patients en route to the emergency room. According to CCFD leadership, the SNV EMS Medical Advisory Board is discussing whether to utilize this technique in the future.
Common scenarios that lead to heat-related 911 calls from tourists or locals include plenty of outdoor exposure, working outdoors, or medical calls for vulnerable seniors or children. Alcohol or drugs also exacerbate heat-related illnesses.
To avoid a 911 call or hospital visit, firefighters break down the warning signs.
“Headache, dizziness, fatigue, sweating. Your skin’s cool, you’re starting to sweat a lot. Those are definitely some of the beginning stages of a heat-related emergency,” Perlmutter said. The first course of action is to get indoors or into the shade.
Clark County and the Southern Nevada Health District launched the “Beat The Heat” campaign. There are advisories to avoid medical emergencies, and specific advice for vulnerable populations, from seniors to pregnant people. For more information, click here: Beat The Heat Southern Nevada – Southern Nevada Health District
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