Phoenix Fire Department Utilizes Ice in Heat-Related Emergencies

Why it matters locally: Utah, like Arizona, experiences periods of extreme heat, and local emergency services may find the Phoenix Fire Department's innovative, low-technology approach to heatstroke treatment a useful model to consider for similar climate challenges.

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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.