Phoenix Fire Department Utilizes Ice in Heat-Related Emergencies

Why it matters locally: California also experiences extreme heat events, and this strategy may offer a low-cost, effective method for local first responders, such as the Los Angeles Fire Department, to manage heat-related emergencies.

Phoenix, Arizona, faces significant challenges from extreme heat, a factor the U.S. government identifies as a primary weather-related threat. Each year, heat causes more fatalities in Phoenix than homicides. In response, the Phoenix Fire Department has implemented a new strategy to combat heatstroke. Firefighters now use bags of ice as a primary tool in emergency responses to heat-related incidents. This low-technology method aims to rapidly reduce body temperatures in individuals suffering from heatstroke. Climate Central correspondent Ben Tracy reported on how this approach assists in emergency care.