Stay Independent Of Dehydration And Other Safety Emergencies On The Fourth Of July

GREENSBORO, N.C. — We’re less than a day away from one of the most celebrated holidays across the U.S. According to WalletHub, Americans will spend $6.8 billion dollars on food and $1.6 billion in beer and wine, and more than 47 million people will travel this fourth of July. But all the fun and freedom don’t mean you get a pass from a possible emergency.

According to Zack Matheny with Downtown Greensboro Inc., over 100,000 people attended the Fun Fourth celebration last year and they expect anywhere between that same amount or more this year.

MORE: Fun Fourth Festival Quick Guide to Parking, Fireworks and all the Holiday Fixings in Greensboro

Greensboro Police say the most common preventable emergencies they respond to every year involve drunk driving and heavy alcohol consumption. If you plan to drink to celebrate, GPD says it is important to make plans to not drive by either having a designated driver or using ride share apps.

GPD also shared it’s important to make sure if you are on the road, to pay attention to traffic signs and pedestrians, especially during Fun Fourth activities. The department tells us there will be a heavier than usual police presence in and outside downtown to ensure citizen’s safety.

In case you haven’t checked our forecast, it’s going to be very hot this weekend, so dehydration is also a possibility. Winston-Salem Fire Chief Darryl Sawyer says its important to make sure you’re hydrated if you plan on spending a lot of time outdoors and walking around for festivals or parades.

After parking and walking around at Fun Fourth, there are plenty of areas you can cool off. The Greensboro Fire Department is bringing its fire truck misting station to the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. and S. Elm streets. There will also be misting tents set up all down Elm Street.

Do The Weather With WFMY News 2! Plus, Where To Find Us At The Fun Fourth Festival

Dehydration happens when someone loses more water than they take in. If we become dehydrated, this can lead to several things such as confusion and urinary tract infections.

Here are a few tips from Guilford County Emergency Services on what to do, and what NOT to do:

• DO drink lots of water and fluids to stay hydrated.
• DON'T drink too much caffeine or alcohol since both can cause dehydration.
• DO spend time in places with air conditioning: libraries, shopping malls, community centers and cooling stations are good options if you live in a home without A/C.
• DON'T use electric fans when the temperature outside is more than 95 degrees because this could increase the risk of heat-related illness. Fans create air flow and a false sense of comfort, but not reduce body temperature.
• DON'T stay out in the sun too long, and if you are outdoors - find shade, and wear a hat.
• DO check yourself, family members, and neighbors for signs of heat-related illness. Also, check on your pets - and make sure they're getting enough water.
• DON'T engage in high-energy activities at the height of the heat wave.
• DO wear loose fitting and light-colored clothing.
• DON'T EVER leave a child, adult or pet in car alone on a warm day.

It's important to know the signs of heat-related illness. Here's what the Emergency Management team wants you to know:

• Heat Cramps – Muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion. Although heat cramps are the least severe, they are often the first signal that the body is having trouble with the heat.
• If these symptoms are observed:

  • Get the person to a cooler location and remove excess clothing.

  • Give cool sports drinks. Do not give liquids with caffeine or alcohol. Discontinue liquids if the victim is nauseated.

    Seek medical attention if: the cramps do not subside in an hour, the victim has heart problems, or is on a low-sodium diet

• Heat exhaustion typically occurs when people exercise heavily or work in a hot, humid place where body fluids are lost through heavy sweating. Symptoms include heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, headaches, nausea, fainting. If not treated, the victim’s condition will worsen.

  If these symptoms are observed:

  • Move victim to air-conditioned place and lie down. Loosen or remove clothing.

    Cool the victim by placing them in a cool shower or bath, or by applying cool, wet cloths.

    Give sips of water or cool sports drinks containing salt and sugar. Do not give liquids with caffeine or alcohol. Discontinue liquids if victim is nauseated.

    Seek immediate medical attention if there is no improvement, the victim is unable to take fluids, vomiting occurs, or any symptoms are severe.

    Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition. The victim’s temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working. The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly. Symptoms include extremely high body temperature above 103°F, hot dry red skin, rapid strong pulse, headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, unconsciousness

    If these symptoms ae observed:

    • Call 911 or emergency medical services, or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Delay can be fatal.

      Until the emergency medical personnel arrive on scene or during transport to the hospital, move the person to a cooler location, cool by removing clothing, bath, sponging, applying a cold we sheet.Do not give the victim fluids to drink.

      For more information, be sure to visit the Ready Guilford webpage here.