Safety Tips
Heat safety tips and ways to keep cool in and around Somerville are below. Safety tips are also available in multiple languages on the City’s website at somervillema.gov/keepcool.
Top 5 Heat Safety Tips:
1. Never leave children or pets unattended in a car or other vehicle, even for a quick errand and even if the windows are open.
2. Stay indoors as much as possible during extreme heat. Limit outdoor activity to the morning and evening hours, avoid direct sunlight, and rest often in shady areas.
3. Drink plenty of water. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated or very sugary drinks.
4. Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
5. Stay informed: Follow City social media pages and contact 311 for the latest information on places you can visit to cool off. More information at somervillema.gov/socialmedia and somervillema.gov/311.
Take Care of Yourself and Others:
• Check on relatives, friends, and neighbors who don’t have air conditioning or who are more likely to be affected by the heat. These groups may include older adults, infants and children, people with chronic medical conditions, and people who are pregnant.
• If you see anyone out in the heat who appears immobile or disoriented, call 911 so they can receive the necessary help.
Learn to Recognize Signs and Symptoms of Heat Illnesses:
• Heat stroke
o If someone is showing signs of heat stroke call 911 immediately. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Signs of heat stroke include a body temperature over 103°F; hot, red skin; a fast and strong pulse; nausea; headache, dizziness or confusion; and possible unconsciousness. While waiting for help to arrive, move the person to a cool area and cool them down with cool wet towels or a cool bath. DON’T give them fluids.
• Heat exhaustion
o Look for: heavy sweating; cold, pale, and clammy skin; a fast, weak pulse; nausea or vomiting; muscle cramps; tiredness or weakness; dizziness; headache; fainting
o Move to a cool place, loosen your clothes, cool down with cool wet towels or a cool bath, and sip water. Get medical help if you are vomiting, your symptoms get worse, or your symptoms last longer than one hour.
• Heat cramps
o Look for: heavy sweating during intense exercise, muscle pain, spasms
o Stop physical activity, move to a cool place, and drink water or a sports drink. Get medical help if cramps last longer than one hour, you’re on a low-sodium diet, or you have heart problems.
Tips For Pet Parents:
• Never leave your pet in your car or vehicle, even if the windows are open.
• Don’t leave pets outside for long periods of time.
• Provide plenty of fresh water and, if outside, leave the water in a shady area.
• Don’t let dogs linger on hot asphalt.
• Know the symptoms of overheating in pets, which include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor, or collapse.
• Animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more prone to heat stroke. These pets, and pets that are older, overweight, or have heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.
Other Ways to Stay Cool:
With public transportation, you can also visit nearby communities that offer water features or pools:
• Visit cambridgema.gov/cdd/parks/waterplaymap for a Waterplay Map and cambridgema.gov/Services/recpoolsandswimming for pools in Cambridge.
• Visit the Parks and Fields page on arlingtonma.gov
• Visit boston.gov/heat for places to stay cool, pools, and splash pads
• Visit the Recreation Page on medfordma.org for parks and playgrounds
• Visit mass.gov/swimming for a list of state-managed Swimming Pools, Wading Pools and Spray Decks
During hot weather, more people cool off in and around bodies of water. Learn how to keep yourself and others safe in and around water by reviewing Water Safety tips provided by the Commonwealth at mass.gov/water-safe
