PORTLAND, Oregon — Over the next few days, temperatures are expected to hit triple digits in the Portland metro area. Paramedics are urging people to be precautious due to the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
“Be willing to go inside or find shade,” Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue Paramedic Ethan Dawson-Hurley said.
He said it’s vital to drink plenty of water Saturday, before the heat arrives over the following days.
Multnomah County officials also said people should check in on neighbors and keep their air conditioning on if they have AC.
“Air conditioning is going to save lives over the next few days so we really want to make sure that they use the AC as much as possible,” Multnomah County Health Department Environmental Health Manager Jeff Martin said.
Martin said hot temperatures will persist into the nights.
“Being able to open up your windows is not going to be an option for a lot of people,” he said.
Along with recommending other people stay inside, TVF&R paramedics and firefighters are also trying to stay cool, for as long as they can. Dawson-Hurley said that will help them quickly respond to incidents in the heat.
“We want to be able to respond to those people who need help,” he said. “And to be able to do that we have to be ready to go as well.”
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High temperatures are often accompanied by increased risks of brush fires. Campfires are currently banned on Federal Bureau of Land Management property. Salem issued a burn ban, which goes into effect Sunday, and Multnomah County announced a burn ban in June, which was phased in over weeks.
Dawson-Hurley said TVF&R will have increased staffing over the heat wave. If firefighters respond to fires, Dawson-Hurley said they will rotate firefighters in and out quickly, giving them significant time to hydrate and recover in shady areas.
“We’re up-staffing so we have some additional rigs that will be in service in the case that brushfires do break out. It’s something that we’re super aware of.”