Stay Cool Culver CIty

Published on July 06, 2024

A special enforcement team member with kids at Fiesta La Ballona.

Extreme heat can be dangerous to anyone, but particularly to the elderly, young children, persons with disabilities and people on medication for chronic health problems. Here are some safety tips for handling the heat:

Staying Safe: Before Excessive Heat

  • Identify places where you can go to stay cool. The Culver City Senior Center is a designated cooling zone for our community and is available during normal operating hours.
  • Keep your home cool by covering windows with drapes/shades, add insulation to keep the heat out, use attic fans, and install window air conditioners and insulate around them.
  • Power outages may occur when there is extreme heat. Review safety tips for power outages.

Staying Safe: During Excessive Heat

  • Avoid the sun – stay indoors from 10 am to 3 pm when the burning rays are strongest.
  • Never leave children or pets in a vehicle - Even with the windows cracked, the temperature inside a car can reach 125 degrees in minutes. Never leave children alone in or around cars. If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved. Call 911 immediately. 
  • Drink plenty of fluids – drink 2 to 4 glasses of water every hour during times of excessive heat.
  • Replace salt and minerals – sweating removes salt and minerals from your body, so replenish these nutrients with low sugar fruit juices or sports drinks during exercise or when working outside.
  • Avoid alcohol – alcohol can cause dehydration. Drinking alcohol within 24 hours of working in the heat can increase the risk of heat illness.
  • Pace yourself – reduce physical activity and avoid exercising outdoors during peak heat hours.
  • Wear appropriate clothing – wear a wide-brimmed hat and light-colored lightweight, loose-fitting clothes when you are outdoors.
  • Stay cool indoors – set your air conditioner between 75° to 80°. If you don’t have air conditioning, take a cool shower twice a day and visit a public air-conditioned facility.
  • Monitor those at high risk – check on elderly neighbors and family and friends who do not have air conditioning. Infants and children up to 4 years old, people who overexert during work or exercise (e.g. construction workers) and people 65 years and older are at the highest risk of heat-related illnesses.
  • Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15 if you need to be in the sun.
  • Keep pets safe – heat also affects your pets, keep them indoors or if they will be outside, make sure they have plenty of water and a shaded area to help them keep cool. Never leave your pet alone in a vehicle, even if the window is cracked or open.

Staying Safe: Resources

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