AND CONSUMER PROTECTION.
>>> AS TO WEATHER CONDITIONS,
EXTREME HEAT IS A DEFINITE
HAZARD TO VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS, INCLUDING NOW HERE
IN WISCONSIN.
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE
STATE THIS WEEK, HEAT ADVISORIES
WENT OUT WITH FEELS-LIKE
TEMPERATURES TOPPING
100-DEGREES.
ADD TO THAT, AIR QUALITY ALERTS,
IT'S NOT ONLY MISERABLE, IT CAN
BE DANGEROUS.
WE TURN TO MARGARET THELEN, THE
PROGRAM MANAGER OF ENVIRONMENTAL
AND OCCUPATIOAL HEALTH.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SO WITH HEIS HEAT INDICES OV0
DEGREES IN WISCONSIN, HOW
DANGEROUS CAN THIS BE?
>> IT'S VERY DANGEROUS, AND IT'S
BECOMING MORE AND MORE DANGEROUS
WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND IT'S
DANGEROUS TO EVERYBODY.
THE WISCONSIN INITIATIVE ON
CLIMATE IMPACTS THAT SOME AREAS
OF THE STATE ARE GOING TO
EXPERIENCE ALMOST A MONTH MORE
OF 90-DEGREE DAYS BY MIDCENTURY.
SO BY 2050.
>> HOW AT RISK ARE PEOPLE THAT
HAVE TO WORK OUTDOORS OR
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS LIKE THE
UNHOUSED, ELDERLY, OR PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES?
>> YEAH.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT
EXTREME HEAT CAN IMPACT ANYBODY.
BUT LIKE YOU SAID, THOSE -- THE
UNHOUSED POPULATION, OLDER
ADULTS, YOUNG CHILDREN, THEY ARE
MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THOSE
KIND OF SYMPTOMS.
FOR OUTDOOR WORKERS, IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT THOSE SUPERVISORS
AND EMPLOYERS REVIEW THEIR
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ON A
CLIMATEIZATION OR PUT IN
DIFFERENT OR LETTING THE WORKERS
WORK AT DIFFERENT PRIORITIES OR
FIND MORE WATER AND SHADE DURING
THOSE TIMES.
>> IS THAT HAPPENING, TO YOUR
KNOWLEDGE?
>> IT DOES.
THERE ARE O.S.H.A. POLICIES THAT
A LOT OF EMPLOYERS USE TO BE
ABLE TO HELP THEIR EMPLOYEES.
>> HOW REAL ARE THE DANGERS OF
FIRST, HEAT EXHAUSTION AND THEN
HEATSTROKE?
>> OH, THEY'RE VERY REAL.
THEY RANGE FROM HEAT RASH, WHICH
IS THE SPLOTCHY RED AND THE
ITCHING, TO HEAT CRAMPS TO HEAT
EXHAUSTION AND FINALLY
HEATSTROKE.
HEATSTROKE CAN REALLY HAPPEN
WITHIN MINUTES AND IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT YOU RECOGNIZE
THOSE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS IN YOUR
FRIENDS, YOUR FAMILY, THOSE
AROUND YOU, AND EVEN IN
YOURSELF.
>> HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE
REALLY IN TROUBLE WITH THOSE
THINGS?
>> YEAH.
SO WITH HEATSTROKE AND HEAT
EXHAUSTION, YOU BECOME REALLY
DIZZY, YOU BECOME CONFUSED, YOU
START RAPIDLY BREATHING.
IT REALLY TURNS DANGEROUS WHEN
YOUR INTERNAL BODY TEMPERATURE
IS ABOVE 104°, AND WHEN THAT
HAPPENS, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO
IMMEDIATELY FIND SHADE OR FIND A
COOL AREA, BE ABLE TO DRINK
WATER.
I KNOW WHEN I GET REALLY WARM
AFTER A RUN, I LIKE TO PUT A BAG
OF ICE ON THE BACK OF MY NECK
BECAUSE THAT JUST COOLS YOU DOWN
IMMEDIATELY.
>> IS IT SAFE TO BE EVEN INDOORS
WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING RIGHT
NOW?
>> THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT
FACTORS THAT GO INTO COOLING A
HOUSE.
THE COOLER AREAS WHERE THERE'S
LESS DIRECT SUNLIGHT LIKE
BASEMENTS OR CELLARS ARE
GENERALLY COOLER.
YOU CAN BE IN THERE.
BUT WHEN WE'RE REACHING THESE
HIGH TEMPERATURES, AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE WILL PUT FANS ON, AND IF
THEY DON'T HAVE AIR
CONDITIONING, FANS ACTUALLY
AREN'T RECOMMENDED WHEN IT'S
ABOVE 95° BECAUSE IT DOESN'T
ALLOW YOUR BODY TO COOL.
IT WILL ACTUALLY HEAT YOUR BODY
UP WITH THAT AIR MOVEMENT.
>> SO WITH ALL OF THAT SAID, ARE
THERE ENOUGH OF THESE PUBLIC
COOLING CENTERS AVAILABLE?
>> SO EACH OF THE LOCAL
MUNICIPALITIES WILL IDENTIFY
THOSE PUBLIC AREAS WHERE PEOPLE
CAN GO.
OFTEN THEY'LL WORK WITH 2-1-1 SO
THAT PEOPLE HAVE A SINGLE SPOT
TO CALL TO BE ABLE TO FIND
EITHER TRANSPORTATION OR FIND
THOSE LOCATIONS.
SO THINK LIBRARIES, CHURCHES,
COMMUNITY CENTERS, THOSE AREAS
ARE USUALLY AVAILABLE.
>> WE KNOW THAT THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION HAS JUST
ANNOUNCED A NEW HAZARD ALERT
SYSTEM AND STEPPED UP
INSPECTIONS AND ENFORCEMENT OF
HIGH-RISK INDUSTRIES LIKE
CONSTRUCTION.
WHAT KIND OF CHANGING RESPONSES
DO PUBLIC AGENCIES LIKE YOURS AT
D.H.S. HAVE CONSIDERING THIS
KIND OF EXTREME HEAT.
>> I WORK FOR THE CLIMATE AND
HEALTH PROGRAM AND WE LIKE TO
WORK A LOT WITH OTHER STATE
AGENCIES AND FEDERAL AGENCIES
LIKE THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE TO BE ABLE TO
COMMUNICATE AND PREPARE FOR
EXTREME HEAT.
SO FINDING WAYS TO REACH THOSE
POPULATIONS THAT ARE NEEDED.
WE ALSO WORK A LOT WITH LOCAL
HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, LOCAL
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO PROVIDE
DATA AND BEST PRACTICES AS THEY
IMPLEMENT THESE EXTREME
HEAT-RELATED RESPONSE PLANS THAT
THEY HAVE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN
FIND THE COOLING CENTERS, THEY
CAN MEET THOSE UNMET NEEDS
FASTER.
>> BECAUSE PRESUMABLY WE CAN
COUNT ON MORE OF THIS GOING
FORWARD?
>> YEAH, WITH CLIMATE CHANGE,
WISCONSIN IS BECOMING WARMER AND
WETTER AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO
EMPOWER OR LOCAL DECISION
MAKERS, OUR LOCAL PUBLIC
OFFICIALS WITH THAT DATA AND
KNOWLEDGE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND
QUICKLY TO THESE TYPE OF EVENTS.