Grand County EMS responded to 19 heat-related emergency calls in the month of June; of those 19 calls, GCEMS said two resulted in fatalities. GCEMS Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR) member Brett Sherman (neon shirt) was on the Lazy EZ Loop mountain biking trail on July 8 handing out frozen Otter Pops and talking to people about heat-related injuries. To prevent heat-related illnesses, GCEMS first responders recommend the following six steps: Start hydration and nutrition needs the night before a hike or outdoor excursion, and continue to the end; get an early start and plan to end before 11 a.m.; do not hike alone in the heat; Acclimate before hiking; if you experience signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion, stop, rest and hydrate in the shade; call 911 immediately if you experience the signs and symptoms of a heat stroke. Feeling faint or dizzy, headache, changes in body temperature and nausea or vomiting are signs of heat exhaustion or stroke, according to GCEMS first responders. [Photo courtesy of Grand County EMS]
