Heat-Related Deaths Are on the Rise

With more than 40 days this summer reaching 90-plus degrees, the number of heat-related health calls have increased for emergency services across the county.

Mark Brady, spokesman for the Prince George's County Fire/EMS chief, said when temperatures reach 92 degrees or more, the number of calls increase by 10 percent to 15 percent.

"We get about 350 calls per day in the county," Brady said. "We get 35 to 45 calls more per day when it's hotter."

He said some of those calls are fire-related, when it's so hot in a restaurant kitchen that the alarm will go off, but others are for people needing medical attention.

"This summer has been the hottest on record," he said. "The weather definitely is a factor in the number of calls we receive."

He said many people complain of headaches, difficulty breathing and diziness.

"People need to stay somewhere cool," Brady said. "If they start feeling those symptoms, it means they need to get inside, start cooling down and drink water."

The medical examiner's office has reported 13 deaths this summer that have been related to heat illnesses, Brady said.

"Usually, it might be about one or two deaths," he added.

When it's hot outside, he said, neighbors should check up on the elderly and each other.

"The heat is dangerous, and it can kill," Brady said. "Everyone should be mindful of that."

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