Summer camps shift gears to keep kids safe as temps soar
WAKE FOREST, NC (WTVD) -- Fun in the sun means later in the day for kids at Camp Kanata in Wake Forest.
As heat temperatures rise into the 90s this week, activities such as splashing around the pool or the camps at Lake Teer happen closer to the evening.
And other physical activities such as basketball and volleyball and soccer take place in the morning to avoid overexertion and heat illness.
But if that happens:
"We've got two nurses that stay onsite with us all the time. We have Gatorade at lunch and at dinner," said Shane Brown, the camp director at Kanata in charge of nearly 300 students who live onsite during the summer.
Hydration stations are sprinkled around the camp for kids to take a quick sip and keep going.
Firefighters are also on the move in this heat wearing layers of gear.
Capt. Tyler Hopkins with Northern Wake Fire Department said it's not uncommon to see one of his colleagues become overheated.
"Sometimes we put ourselves second and that's when we start to feel those conditions taking advantage of us," Hopkins said.
Hopkins said a paramedic provides colds packs on fire scene for crews.
They also monitor each firefighter's body temperature for their safety.
Since Saturday, Triangle hospitals have been dealing with several incidents of heat-related sickness.
Common symptoms can include excessive sweating, dry skin, headache, nausea, and dizziness.
Health officials urge people to take breaks from the sun, hydrate and don't leave children unattended in a vehicle without air conditioning.
