Wake EMS sees rise in heat-related calls Memorial Day weekend

According to Jeff Hammerstein, Assistant Chief at Wake EMS, they received 11 heat-related emergency calls between Friday and Tuesday. Two of those calls were to treat children, and five were to treat senior citizens.

On May 18 alone, Wake EMS received an astonishing 11 calls, said Hammerstein, when heat came out of nowhere and surprised people.

Most of the calls were related to heat exhaustion, which officials say can be avoided.

People spending time outdoors in hot temperatures should drink a lot of water and take breaks to cool down, Hammerstein said.

In temperatures this high, first responders are also having to take their own advice.

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Firefighters, for example, are encouraged to take frequent breaks and are checked on by their EMS peers. They also bring extra equipment and water when responding to emergencies.

"If there's a major fire and there's a lot of firefighters working...once they go through a cycle of work, we've got to get them cooled down," Hammerstein said. "Check a lot of measurements -- heart monitor, temperature, vital signs -- make sure that they're staying within certain perimeters so it's safe for them to continue working."