professionals - heatwaves - preparedness

e-Learning in Heat waves

Professionals

e-Learning for the Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural Disasters

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PreparednessIn the following, you will be presented with information on:• How to plan• How to prepare• How to train and exercise for a natural disaster• How members of the public will be informed of a forthcoming or on-going natural disaster


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Help othersAnyone who cares for, supports or assists people at risk of serious health effects from hot weather can play a key role in keeping them healthy during a heat wave. It is important that people at risk are encouraged to manage their health appropriately in hot weather and visit their GP if necessary.The following includes tips on what you can do to keep someone healthy during a heat wave:• Identify a person at risk• Help to prepare them for a heat wave• Help them during a heat wave• What you can do after a heat wave


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Help othersVisit or telephone elderly in your community and others you know might be at risk. Check that they have water in the fridge.Help them to locate the coolest room in the house so they know where to go if a heat wave hits.Encourage parents to be aware of keeping children cool and get them to drink lots as they won’t often do this by themselves.Remember to emphasize that you should never leave babies, children or animals alone in a car, even if the air-conditioner is on.


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Plan and prepareEncourage the citizens to have a plan. The plan could consist of:• Know who to call if you need help.• Know and follow your doctor’s advice if you have any medical conditions.• If you feel unwell, seek medical advice from your doctor or nearest hospital.• Know where to find your emergency kit in case of a power outage.• Keep an eye on the weather forecast.• Know what to do in case of a wildfire.


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GuidanceYou can help local communities in your area prepare for heat waves by providing advice on how they can prepare themselves on a personal level as well as their house or apartment.

Remember to emphasize the importance in the community of having a chat with a neighbour or relative/close friend about keeping in contact during a heat wave in case they need any help.


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GuidanceOn a personal level you can advise your community to:• Check that they wear light, loose-fitting clothing.• Regularly check the local weather forecasts on the radio, TV or on the internet. • Set their mobile phones correctly to receive any weather alert messages from dedicated apps etc..

• Watch the video on the next slide for tips for coping in Heatwaves


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Guidance• Make sure they know who to call (who may need

help and who could provide help to them if needed) – make a list of important telephone numbers.

• To get advice from their doctor about whether their medication and/or medical conditions may affect what they should do if it gets extremely hot.

• Check if the doctor normally limits a person’s fluids, and then advise them to check how much to drink in hot weather.

• Check that they can store their medication at less than 25°C if needed (in some cases the medication can become less effective or occasionally toxic if stored at higher temperatures).

The information regarding medical state, could be gathered in a care plan and include numbers for carers like doctor, care persons, family etc..


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GuidanceFor housing, you can advise your community to:• Check their fridges, freezers, fans and

air-conditioners to make sure they work properly.

• Stock up on food (for the household and pets), water and medicines to last for up to a week, so they don’t have to go out in a heat wave.

• Consider buying cool packs to have in the fridge or freezer to help cool down if needed.

• Put together a small emergency kit to plan for a possible power cut. This is described later.


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Guidance• Check that the home can be properly ventilated without compromising security.• If possible, have curtains with pale linings in rooms that get a lot of sunlight to help reflect the heat. Avoid dark reflective curtain linings and metal venetian blinds as they absorb heat and may make rooms hotter.• Consider putting external blinds, shutters or some other shading on windows.


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Guidance• Insulate their house – not only will this

keep it cool in summer, but it will also keep it warm in winter.

• Create a cool room or cool area in the house to go to during extreme heat. This room or area ideally should be east or north facing (in north Mediterranean countries) and east or south facing (in south Mediterranean countries). It can be cooled using indoor and outdoor shading, ventilation and use of a fan or air-conditioning.

• Consider the risk of wildfires as they often occur on days of high temperature.


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GuidanceFor parents, it is important to guide them in regard to their children. Also for you as a professional, to be aware of the children in the community.Babies and children need to be watched carefully because they are at higher risk of becoming unwell than adults. Things parents should have in mind:• Babies and children overheat and dehydrate quickly

in hot weather as they sweat less, reducing their bodies’ ability to cool down. They also generate more heat during exercise than adults.

• Breastfeed or bottle-feed babies more often in hot weather

• Offer older babies and children extra drinks in hot weather - the best drink is water

• Dress babies and children in cool clothing and protect them from the sun with hats and sunscreen

• Never leave children in the car, not even for a moment


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GuidanceFurther advice you can give to parents with small children:• For sleeping, choose the coolest room in the house.

Keeping the heat out by closing the curtains and make sure fresh air can circulate around the bassinette or cot (no liners or padding). Don’t leave babies asleep in a pram as they can become very hot.

• Cool your baby with damp cloths and place wet towels or sheets around the bassinette or cot to cool the air immediately near them. Check regularly to make sure they are not getting too cold.

• Give your baby or child a lukewarm bath or sponge them down with lukewarm water. Don’t use cold water or ice in the bath.

• If you use a fan, don’t point it towards your baby or child but use it to keep the air circulating. Make sure your child cannot touch the fan.

• If you have an air conditioner, make sure the room does not get too cold, 24-26 degree Celsius is low enough.


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Guidance• If possible, keep children inside, particularly during the

hottest parts of the day, usually between 11 am and 5 pm. Plan your activities for early morning, late afternoon or evenings.

• If your child does a lot of outdoor activities and exercise, take regular breaks and provide plenty of fluids.

• Never leave babies, children or pets alone in a car, not even for a moment. Most of the temperature increase occurs within five minutes of closing the car and having the windows down 5 cm causes only a very slight decrease in temperature.

• Only cover your baby’s pram or stroller with a light cloth that still allows the air to circulate. An enclosed pram can get very hot.

• A refreshing idea for young children is to freeze fruit pieces (orange quarters, watermelon).

• Give more frequent but smaller meals, offer chilled food items and minimise hot food.


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Power cutDuring a heat wave, there is a risk of power cuts. This could be due to the expanding of power lines and thereby decreasing of electrical flow.This you need to be prepared to handle.The following is advice you can use as a Fire and Rescue service to prepare the people in your community.


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Power cutPreparing for a power cut:• Keep your energy supplier’s emergency

number handy in the UK this is 105– Store the number on your mobile phone. Your supplier’s Emergency Team should be available 24 hours a day. Advise your community to have the number in the contact list of their Home Emergency Plan ( and to always have a paper copy of their handy).

• Make sure to have an emergency generator to power vital functions, such as an emergency control.

• Advise citizens to consider getting on their supplier’s Priority Services Register – If they have any special requirements, i.e. medical equipment etc..

• Keep a battery powered or wind-up torch handy and ensure that everyone in the household/office knows where it is.

• Keep your mobile charged – Many modern phones require mains electricity to work. Have a mobile phone handy and consider purchasing a portable charger to keep it charged. Also consider buying an analogue telephone as a back-up.

• Keep a battery powered or wind-up radio handy, as you may be able to receive updates via your local radio station. Furthermore a two way radio to be in contact with colleagues during a response.


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Power cut• Keep some food that does not require cooking and

have some bottled water handy.• Back up your data files – regularly back-up work and

important files on your computer. You don’t want to lose it all during a power cut.

• Make sure you have enough fuel in the car – Try to keep your vehicle’s fuel tank at least half full. Service stations may not be able to pump fuel during a power outage.

• Advise the community to check their medical equipment – If they use electrically powered medical equipment in their home, they should ensure the equipment has a battery back-up.

• If someone has a mains operated stair lift, they should check that it has a battery back-up. If it doesn’t, they should make enquiries to have one fitted and check if there is a manual release to return the lift to ground level.


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Personal safetyIt is important to know how to stay healthy in the heat. People should try to follow the four key messages outlined below:

Remember the 4 key messages to keep you and others healthy in the heat.


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Personal safetyWhen working during a heat wave, you will need to drink more water than normal, particularly when completing tasks that cause you to sweat and become out of breath. Remember to drink even if you do not feel thirsty. If you have doubts about whether you are hydrated, then you can check your wee – if it is pale, you’re drinking enough.Make sure to always have drinking water with you on a response.Avoid alcoholic, hot or sugary drinks including tea and coffee (they can make dehydration worse).


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Personal safetyAs a professional, you can’t always control your day, as you might have to respond to an emergency on the hottest part of the day. It is important to remember and follow as much advice as possible. It is important to keep your body cool. You can do that by drinking cold drinks and eat smaller cold meals such as salads and fruit.When possible, you should wear light coloured, loose fitting clothes made from natural fibres like cotton. If you have to respond outside, then as often as possible, seek shade, wear a hat and apply sunscreen. When not responding, consider doing training sessions/hard work outdoors during cooler parts of the day and other activities, such as desk work, inside during the hottest parts of the day. The hottest part of the day is between 11 am and 5 pm.When you are inside, put wet towels or cool packs on your arms or neck or put your feet in cool water.Take cool showers or baths.


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Personal safetyKeep your house or office cool. • Cool your house by closing windows, shutting

curtains and blinds, opening windows at night if you can, to let in cool air. Some of this also can be done for your office.

• Use air-conditioning if you have it (make sure it’s set to cool).

• Know which room in your house or office is the coolest (this will often be on the ground floor). Spend time here when you can, if there is no power or air-conditioner.

• Use your stove and oven as little as possible.• Watch the video on the next slide to find out ;

Why do deaths in buildings happen at night during Heatwaves?


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AcclimatizationWhat is heat acclimatization? Heat acclimatization refers to biological adaptations to the heat that reduce physiologic strain (e.g., heart rate and body temperature), improve physical work capabilities, improve comfort and protect vital organs (brain, liver, kidneys, muscles) from heat injury. The most important biological adaptation from heat acclimatization is an earlier and greater sweating response, and for this response to improve, it needs to be invoked.Heat exposure can make firefighters feel fatigued, making it more difficult to recover and increase the firefigters risk of being a heat casuality.


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AcclimatizationHow to become heat acclimatized? Heat acclimatization is the body adapting to heat and work stresses; it does this by increasing blood volume, reducing heart rate, redirecting blood to the skin, prioritizing water use toward sweat, and reducing salt excretion. This all starts to occur with repeated heat exposures that are sufficiently stressful to elevate body temperature and provoke sweating. Physical exercise in the heat is required to achieve optimal heat acclimatization.


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AcclimatizationGenerally, about two weeks of daily heat exposure is needed to induce heat acclimatization. Heat acclimatization requires a minimum daily heat exposure of about two hours, which can be broken into two x1 hour exposures. This should be combined with physical exercise that requires cardiovascular endurance, (e.g., hiking, running, or high intensity interval training) rather than strength training or low intensity drills. Gradually increase the exercise/drill intensity and/or duration each day, working up to an appropriate physical training schedule adapted to the high temperature environment. The benefits of heat acclimatization will be retained for up to1 week and then decay with about 75 percent by 3 weeks, once heat exposure ends. A day or two of intervening cool weather will not interfere with acclimatization but drinking alcohol in conjunction with reduced heat exposure can negate the acclimatization benefits in as little as 3 days.


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AcclimatizationThe best strategy to heat acclimatization is to maximize physical fitness and heat acclimatization prior to the arrival of hot weather or before heat wave occurs. Train in the coolest part of the day and acclimatize in the heat of the day with drills in full gear. Start slowly by reducing training intensity and duration (compared to what you could achieve in temperate climates). Increase training and heat exposure volume as your heat tolerance increases. Use interval training (work /rest cycles) to modify your activity level. If the new climate is much hotter than you are accustomed to, then do recreational type activities over the first two days .

Consume sufficient water to replace sweat losses. Heat acclimatization increases the sweating rate, and therefore increases water requirements. As a result, heat acclimatized firefighters will dehydrate faster if they do not consume fluids. Dehydration negates many of the advantages achieved by heat acclimatization.


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AcclimatizationFollowing is a table showing heat acclimatization suggestions:

Strategy Suggestions for implementation

Start early 1. Start at least one month prior to summer2. Be flexible and patient: performance benefits take longer than the physiological benefits

Mimic the training environment climate

1. In warm climates, acclimatize in the heat of day2. In temperate climates workout in a warm room wearing sweats

Ensure adequate heat stress 1. Induce sweating2. Work up to 100 minutes of continuous physical exercise in the heat. Be patient. The first few days you may not be able

to go 100 minutes without resting.3. Once you can comfortably exercise for 100 minutes in the heat, continue for at least 7-14 days with added exercise

intensity (loads, or training runs).

Teach yourself to drink and eat 1. Your thirst mechanism will improve as you become heat acclimatized, but you will still under-drink if relying on thirst sensation.

2. Heat acclimatization will increase your water requirements3. Dehydration will negate most benefits of physical fitness and heat acclimatization4. You will sweat out more electrolytes when not acclimatized, so add salt to your food, or drink electrolyte solutions

during the first week of heat acclimatization5. A convenient way to learn how much water your body needs to replace, is to weigh yourself before and after 100

minutes of exercise in the heat. For each pound lost, you should drink about one-half quart of fluid6. Do not skip meals as this is when your body replaces most of its water and salt losses


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AcclimatizationThere are some myths about heat acclimatization that need to be discounted:• Myth – Age affects your ability to tolerate and acclimatise to heat.

Not true. Research that controls for body size and composition, aerobic fitness, hydration, degree of acclimatization, and chronological age shows little or no age-related difference in one’s ability to manage or acclimatize to extreme temperatures.

• Myth – Those who are physically fit do not need to be heat acclimatized. Not true. Even physically active individuals cannot be fully acclimatized without exposure to environmental heat stress, although they will probably acclimatize to heat faster than less fit people.

• Myth - Women are thought to need longer acclimatization, since they are more vulnerable to heat illness. Not true. Women and men, in fact, show equivalent reactions to heat during exercise when controlled for levels of fitness and acclimatization.

• Myth – Spending time in air conditioned areas reduces heat tolerance. Not true. In fact the opposite is true, pre-cooling can extend the work time of firefighters who are heat acclimatized by allowing them to start the work with a lower core temperature.


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AcclimatizationFire fighters regularly confront the problems of working in heat. This can lead to:• Heat cramps• Heat exhaustion (weakness, fatigue, nausea)• Heat stroke (extreme elevations in body

temperature)• Dehydration• Premature fatigue• Poor decision making which can lead to accidents.The effects of heat stress can be brought on by:• Steady hard physical work (hot or cold weather)• Radiant heat from the fire.The type of clothing worn will also impact significantly on heat stress. Protective clothing has both advantages and disadvantages. It blocks radiant heat, but also reduces the evaporation of sweat from the skin.


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Physical factorsWork on the fire ground demands good health and fitness. The risk of heat illness is greatly increased for fire-fighters who:• Are overweight and do not undertake regular exercise• Suffer from heart and circulatory diseases or diabetes• Have skin disorders that impair sweating• Are taking medications• Drink alcohol excessively or have other drug problems


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Physical factorsPhysical fitness and acclimatisation to heat reduces the risk of heat illness and promotes effective performance on the fire ground. It is important to achieve:• Physical fitness from regular vigorous

exercise• Acclimatization to heat from recent

regular exercise in warm conditions• Maintaining a healthy body weightNatural acclimatization to heat occurs as the summer develops. Regular exercise improves heat tolerance and helps to keep body fat at the right level. If you are not suitably prepared for the job you may not only jeopardise your own safety but that of fellow fire-fighters.


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This educational resource has been produced by the partners of the e-PPR Project (e-Learning for the Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural Disasters) with the support of the Erasmus+ programme.

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professionals - heatwaves - preparedness

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