{"id":269117,"date":"2024-07-19T18:49:42","date_gmt":"2024-07-20T01:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/?p=269117"},"modified":"2024-08-09T13:20:06","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T20:20:06","slug":"summer-is-here-lets-stay-cool-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/summer-is-here-lets-stay-cool-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer is Here, Let\u2019s Stay Cool California!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Now well into summer, Californians must take on the extreme heat which entails wildfires, power outages, and water-related disasters.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In a media briefing on July 2, hosted by <a href=\"https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ethnic Media Services<\/a> in partnership with Listos California, a panel of experts discussed the forecast for extreme weather and shared essential safety information for the coming months.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Speakers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-269119\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/07-02-24-Stay-Cool-Cal-speakers.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/07-02-24-Stay-Cool-Cal-speakers.jpg 800w, https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/07-02-24-Stay-Cool-Cal-speakers-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/07-02-24-Stay-Cool-Cal-speakers-150x99.jpg 150w, https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/07-02-24-Stay-Cool-Cal-speakers-768x509.jpg 768w, https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/07-02-24-Stay-Cool-Cal-speakers-562x372.jpg 562w, https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/07-02-24-Stay-Cool-Cal-speakers-400x265.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Sonya Harris<\/b>, Senior Advisor, Listos California<\/li>\n<li><b>Andrew Ramos<\/b>, Captain, City of Sacramento Fire Department<\/li>\n<li><b>Dr. Rita Nguyen<\/b>, Assistant Health Officer for the State of California and Director of Population Health, California Department of Public Health<\/li>\n<li><b>Charlene Gloriani<\/b>, CalOSHA Program Senior Safety Engineer Communications and Outreach, California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal\/OSHA)<\/li>\n<li><b>David Lawrence<\/b>, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<\/li>\n<li><strong>Amy Palmer<\/strong>, Deputy Secretary of Communications, Government Operations<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>Agency<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><b>The Heat to Come<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re at the beginning stages of what looks to be a fairly long heat event across much of California,\u201d said David Lawrence. Lasting anywhere from seven to nine days in all.<\/p>\n<p>California will face highs from 100 to 115 degrees, and the nighttime will cruise around 70s to lower 80s.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGoing forward statewide, there\u2019s no strong signal to suggest that we may see persistently hot temperatures through these three months,\u201d said Lawrence. \u201cRather, we\u2019re likely to see up-and-down stretches of intense heat, followed by a bit of relief.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoth the length of this heatwave and the very warm overnight temperatures are most concerning\u201d for health impacts, he added.<\/p>\n<h4><b>Heat Illnesses<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>\u201cPeople really underestimate how dangerous heat waves can be for Californians,\u201d said Dr. Rita Nguyen. \u201cGroups at higher risk of heat-related health impacts include those who are unhoused, working outdoors, working indoors without air conditioning, older adults, pregnant people, infants and children, people with disabilities, and lower-income populations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut anyone can be a victim of life-threatening heatstroke, because a lot of it doesn\u2019t necessarily have to do with absolute temperature, if folks are not acclimated,\u201d Nguyen explained. \u201cWhen there\u2019s sudden changes, the temperature doesn\u2019t cool at night, all these things increase the risk of heat illnesses or other underlying conditions like heart attack or stroke.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe good news is heat illnesses are preventable,\u201d she continued. \u201cSome of the warning signs include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, headache, nausea, vomiting, paleness, tiredness, irritability, and dizziness. If people are getting confused, passing out, or vomiting, seek medical attention right away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur three tips are: stay hydrated, stay cool, and stay informed,\u201d said Nguyen, \u201cDrink before you\u2019re actually thirsty \u2026 to cool off your body as you sweat. Stay away from sugary, alcoholic, or caffeinated drinks, which can dehydrate you. Stay cool and adjust your activities to air-conditioned places when there\u2019s a health alert \u2026 If you can\u2019t find one, find your nearest cooling center, mall, or library. Also, use cold showers, lightweight clothing, and sunblock.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn this time of climate change, we\u2019re getting more alerts and there may be alert fatigue. But when people stop paying attention, that\u2019s when it gets dangerous,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>Heat is the deadliest weather condition, \u201cfar more than wildfires and other disasters like floods,\u201d added Amy Palmer.<\/p>\n<p>Californians can sign up for local emergency alerts at listoscalifornia.org\/alerts.<\/p>\n<p>As for employees, Cal\/OSHA regulations include heat illness prevention.<\/p>\n<p>Outdoor employees are entitled to receive training on heat illness, have access to free clean drinking water free, access safe shade when temperatures exceed 80 degrees, be monitored for heat illness signs at temperatures 95 degrees plus, and to receive cooldown rest periods every two hours in such conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Cal\/OSHA recently approved regulations for indoor workplace heat illness prevention, as Charlene Gloriani noted. \u201cThe Office of Administrative Law has 30 working days to review the proposal, and the regulation will take effect immediately after the approval \u2026 It\u2019s very similar to the outdoor standard. Generally, it applies when indoor temperatures are above 82 degrees \u2026 and if it\u2019s above 87 degrees, require employers to implement engineering controls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Californians can report workplace hazards or obtain safety information from Cal\/OSHA staff in English or Spanish by calling 833-579-0927 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.<\/p>\n<h4>Water Safety<\/h4>\n<p>Andrew Ramos shared, \u201cI operate a 14-person CalOES swift water rescue team here in Sacramento \u2026 We conduct about 30 water-related rescues a year, which is a lot, and unfortunately, a majority of those involve deaths in drowning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Due to melting snowcaps, \u201cour waterways are colder, deeper, and faster than normal right now,\u201d he explained. \u201cAlthough they may appear safe to wander into, use extreme caution. Make sure you\u2019re wearing a Coast Guard-approved life vest and can swim. I was just speaking with another fire captain today, and he said in over 30 years, he\u2019s never had to save a person wearing a life vest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Life vests can be easily rented from counties all over the stat through the California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you do fall in the water, don\u2019t panic, breathe slowly and stay calm,\u201d Ramos continued. \u201cKick off your shoes, try to keep your head above water, look out for debris and make your way to the sides of the stream \u2026 if someone near you falls in, please don\u2019t dive in after them. Throw a flotation device towards them, have them grab it and call 911.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Listos California<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cThese extreme weather conditions are a complex environment for Californians to adapt to,\u201d said Sonya Harris. Following the Camp Fire in 2019, Governor Newsom\u2019s office created Listos, a platform for disaster preparedness and education.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Harris mentioned that Listos increased outreach regarding wildfire smoke through multilingual social media videos which provide insight about things like understanding was Air Quality Index (AQI) is. They educate the public to close doors and stay inside when the AQI is high among other important safety tips.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Since 2023, Listos California has reached out to three million plus Californians through a phone bank program, having them sign up for emergency alerts, with a 25% success rate, which is still rather impeccable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReally, all incidents are local,\u201d Harris added. \u201cWhat we\u2019ve learned in our work is that Californians are ready to prepare and help their families stay safer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Image: Adobe Stock\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now well into summer, Californians must take on the extreme heat which entails wildfires, power outages, and water-related disasters.\u00a0 In a media briefing on July 2, hosted by Ethnic Media Services in partnership with Listos California, a panel of experts discussed the forecast for extreme weather and shared essential safety information for the coming months&#8230;.<\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/summer-is-here-lets-stay-cool-california\/\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":269118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1848,19,4786],"tags":[63881,63876,56063,63879,63384,63878,56062,63877,60011,59545,5209,40,5210,63880,178,10565,56361,59725,4369,63875],"class_list":["post-269117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","category-society","category-topics","category-u-s-news","tag-amy-palmer","tag-andrew-ramos","tag-california-department-of-public-health","tag-california-division-of-occupational-safety-and-health","tag-caloes","tag-calosha","tag-cdph","tag-charlene-gloriani","tag-david-lawrence","tag-dr-rita-nguyen","tag-ems","tag-environment","tag-ethnic-media-services","tag-government-operations-agency","tag-health","tag-heat","tag-heat-waves","tag-listos-california","tag-national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration","tag-sonya-harris"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/269118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}