Washington and the surrounding area has already had record high temperatures this season and Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen is reminding people to be mindful of the heat this summer.

She says the number one thing to prevent heat illness is to stay hydrated, and water is best. If you do present symptoms of heat illness the first thing you should do is get out of the heat and get sips of water. Reisen shares some symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, “So with heat exhaustion there’s heavy sweating, you start getting pale and crampy, and tired, you might get dizzy and feel sick. You could even faint. Get to a cooler place, small sips of water, if it’s bad enough you need to go to the doctor. And then heat stroke is when your body temperature is above 103 degrees and it can’t regulate itself back to a normal temperature. You start to get red and hot, you don’t sweat anymore. And your pulse and your breathing are rapid. And you can get dizzy and confused, like a regular stroke. And if this is happening you need to call 911 and get the person to an ER right away.”

She also reminds people to check their back seats of their vehicles for their children and pets. Even on a 70-degree day with the windows cracked the inside temperature of the vehicle can jump up to 90 degrees in as little as 10 minutes.