PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 With temperatures hitting 115 degrees and two of the hottest months of the year still ahead, Phoenix Fire has already responded to more than 400 heat-related calls since May 1. The department says the pace is only going to increase.<\/p>\n
Maricopa County has confirmed 18 heat-related deaths so far this year, more than triple the five recorded at this same point last year<\/a>. Captain Rob McDade said July and August are historically when conditions become most dangerous.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got two full months of this ahead of us, and it\u2019s really when you look at the numbers, July and August is where we get these critical days,\u201d McDade said.<\/p>\n A tool few departments have<\/p>\n To keep up with the demand, Phoenix Fire has been deploying water immersion bags. The treatment tool is used by only a handful of departments across the country. <\/p>\n Crews place the patient inside the bag, fill it with ice and water and transport them while the cooling process continues.<\/p>\n McDade said the bags have been used more than 40 times in Phoenix this season alone, and the results have been significant.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have statistics from the emergency rooms that tell us we start with a person that is at 108 degree core temperature. We hypothermically now shock them with that ice. They get to the ER, and their temperature is 100 degrees. Massive difference,\u201d McDade said.<\/p>\n What the heat can do<\/p>\n Even with those tools in place, McDade said public awareness remains a critical part of keeping the death toll from climbing further. He said many people underestimate what extreme heat is capable of.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the heat can do to you, and I think that\u2019s where people misunderstand that it is deadly, and you can die,\u201d McDade said.<\/p>\n McDade urged residents to drink water throughout the day, limit time spent outdoors and stay off hiking trails during triple-digit temperatures.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n