In the winter months, it's easy to forget just how hot it can get in the valley.
Temperatures over 100 degrees are coming this week, which means Melanie Bangle and her coworkers are about to hit their busy season.
Bangle is a paramedic for Community Ambulance in Henderson.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are what she's chiefly on the lookout for.
"The heat-related illnesses increase our call volume, especially in the middle of the day to the early evening when it's the hottest," Bangle says.
She says heat stroke is worse than exhaustion, and some warning signs to look for are dizziness, nausea, being red in the face, and no longer sweating.
The heat can get unsafe quickly.
Cars sitting outside during the day for just ten minutes can reach temperatures of at least 120 degrees.
Leaving a child or pet inside for too long can be deadly.
Paramedics recommend using a tool to break a window in an emergency. Window punches can be purchased at hardware stores or auto parts stores.
Although anyone can rescue a child, only certain people (police officers, firefighters, animal control officers etc.) can rescue animals. If someone sees an animal in a car, they should call animal control.
