GJFD talks heat safety tips

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) - It’s all about the heat this weekend as temperatures are expected to hit surpass 100 degrees for several days in a row.

The Grand Junction Fire Department urges the public to take extra precautions to beat the heat.

“So if you got work to do outside, gardening, mowing the lawn, working on your house, you want to do that in the morning or the evening when it’s a little bit cooler, said Community Outreach Specialist Ellis Thompson-Ellis. “You also want to make sure to drink a lot of water and make sure you got a little bit of electrolytes.”

The signs of a heat illness include throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, rapid breathing, and excessively sweating.

Ellis adds the heat in the desert can be deceiving, “It might be difficult to tell if you’re sweating a lot, especially on a hot, dry day where it is just instantly evaporating.”

Especially for children and pets since they can’t regulate their body temperature like adults can. They get hotter faster.

If you decide to cool off by the pool or river, make sure to wear a live jacket and make sure to supervise the young ones.