SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — As the daytime highs rise, so do calls to the Emergency Room.

28/22 News spoke with someone who responds to those calls and found out the heat has been taking a toll on his team as well.

With the high volume of calls emergency services have been receiving, they too have been spending a lot of time in the heat.

Something that needs to be taken care of while also helping those in need.

Excessive Heat Watch in effect for the weekend

As Pennsylvania Ambulance continues to respond to heat-related calls, those on the other end of the call aren’t the only ones affected by the high temperatures.

“We’re dealing with issues with the trucks and the heat affecting the vehicles and of course, the crews themselves that are out there really getting hot and sweaty and having to keep themselves hydrated in the heat,” said Pennsylvania Ambulance Operations Manager Bruce Beauvais.

Emergency medical staff have to be prepared every step of the way, never knowing how long they could be exposed to the extreme heat on any call.

“As far as preparing, more water, more water, more water. We have our ice machine in service, we have a full refrigerator filled with water, and we have our roving unit that is actually bringing water to the crews at the hospitals,” Beauvais explained.

How the heat is impacting farmers

Beauvais says there have been consistent heat-related calls rolling in, but luckily none have been too severe.

He says the most common, and dangerous, call they’ve been responding to is near drownings.

“When we think about the weather, we try to anticipate a lot of different things. Near drownings can usually occur all throughout summer, but because the heat is so early this year in June. It’s not something we anticipated,” Beauvais added.

What they did anticipate was responding to calls for chest pain, dizziness, or trouble breathing, all stemming from dehydration.

Beauvais says the biggest mistake he sees people make during a heat wave is not drinking enough fluids.

“Often times, we get sick with heat exhaustion and sometimes that even brings on nausea and vomiting. Without that hydration, it often times mimics other things. The weakness, the dizziness, that comes along with that,” Beauvais continued.

It’s always recommended to stay in a cool and controlled climate when possible during this type of heat wave.

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