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<img src="https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/healthlogo.jpg" alt="Booune County Missouri" width="137" height="130" style="float: right; margin-right: 0px; margin-left:20px;">
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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;">1005 W. Worley St. <br />Columbia, MO 65203</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">July 25, 2023</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Ryan Sheehan
<br />Public Information Specialist
<br />Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services
<br />Ryan.Sheehan@CoMo.gov</p>
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<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">Heat Safety</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - As we enter another week of extreme heat, Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) reminds residents about the health risks involved with extreme heat and what they can do to stay safe. <br /><br />Exposure to extreme heat can cause a variety of health problems, including heatstroke and even death. Those at greatest risk for heat-related illness include infants and children up to 4 years old, people 65 years and older, and people who are ill or on certain medications. Heatstroke is the most serious heat-related illness. <br /><br />Visit this link to learn about how to spot heat related illnesses and what to do: <a style="white-space:nowrap" href="https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/warning.html">https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/warning.html</a> <br /><br />In order to prevent heat-related illnesses, individuals should stay in an air-conditioned ar
ea during the hottest hours of the day. Public cooling centers are available to the general public during normal business hours: <a style="white-space:nowrap" href="https://www.como.gov/health/public-health-safety/warming-and-cooling-centers/">CoMo.gov/health/public-health-safety/warming-and-cooling-centers/</a> <br /><br />Columbia Parks and Recreation operates several public pools as an alternative to cool down. Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center and Douglass Family Aquatic Center are open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. Parks and Recreation also offers free spraygrounds at Flat Branch Park, Douglass Park and Stephens Lake Park, as well as the swimming beach at Stephens Lake Park. <br /><br />The Office of Sustainability recommends several tips for conversing energy in your home: <br />
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<li>Set your thermostat as high as is comfortable in the summer, and raise the setpoint when you're sleeping or away from home.</li>
<li>Clean or replace filters on air conditioners once a month or as recommended.</li>
<li>Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after cooking or bathing.</li>
<li>During summer, keep the window coverings closed during the day to block the sun's heat.</li>
<li>Unplug or turn off appliances not in use.</li>
<li>On hot days, whenever outdoor temperatures are higher than the temperature inside your house, close all the windows and exterior doors tightly.</li>
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For households that do not have air-conditioning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides these steps to keep cool when indoors:<br />
<ul>
<li>Spend some time at a shopping mall or public library - even a few hours spent in air-conditioning can help.</li>
<li>Take cool showers or baths.</li>
<li>Don't rely solely on fans to keep you cool. While electric fans might provide some comfort, when temperatures are really hot, they won't prevent heat-related illness.</li>
<li>Use your stove and oven less to maintain a cooler temperature in your home.</li>
</ul>
PHHS also offers a utility assistance program that provides financial assistance for certain types of utility services for eligible Boone County residents.<br /><br />For more information about utility assistance programs, please visit <a style="white-space:nowrap" href="https://www.como.gov/Health/Human-Services/">CoMo.gov/Health/Human-Services</a> or call 573.874.7355.<br /><br />As a reminder, extreme heat can also impact those with mental health conditions. <br />
<ul>
<li>It makes mental health harder to manage. </li>
<li>Medicine for some mental health conditions may make people more at-risk for heat related crises. People who take medicine prescribed for mental health conditions may make people more at-risk for heat related crises. </li>
</ul>
Those who may need help with this stress can also call the 988 mental health crisis line. Visit this link if you would like more information on how heat can impact mental health: <a style="white-space:nowrap" href="https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/climate-change-and-mental-health-connections/affects-on-mental-health">https://bit.ly/3DoWkku</a><br /><br />Columbia Police also caution community members to never leave a child or pet alone in a car. Children and pets can overheat easily. Cars parked in direct sunlight can reach internal temperatures up to 131-172 degrees Fahrenheit when outside temperatures are between 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit.<br /><br />If you encounter a vehicle with a child or pet unattended, call 911.</div>
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<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align:center;"><p>City of Columbia Vision<br>
<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
<p>City of Columbia Mission<br>
<em>To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
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