FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12-05
Tuesday, June 19, 2012

OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCES COOLING CENTERS WILL OPEN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY TO HELP NEW YORKERS BEAT THE HEAT

With temperatures expected to reach the high 90s Wednesday and Thursday, with heat indices above 100 degrees, the City will open air-conditioned cooling centers to help New Yorkers beat the heat. Cooling centers are air conditioned places, such as Department for the Aging senior centers, Salvation Army community centers, and public libraries that are open to the public during heat emergencies. Cooling centers will be open Wednesday and Thursday. To find the cooling center closest to you, call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov. Note: The Cooling Center Finder will be available as of 8 PM tonight.

New Yorkers should heed the following tips to stay cool during this week’s extreme heat:

• Use an air conditioner if you have one.
• If you do not have an air conditioner, go to a cooler place such as a store, mall, museum, movie theater, or friend/family member’s air-conditioned home, or visit a cooling center.
• Check on your at-risk family, friends and neighbors often and help them get to a cool place.
• Use a fan only when the air conditioner is on or the windows are open. Fans alone will not keep you cool when it is really hot outside. Fans work best at night to bring in cooler air from outside.
• Drink plenty of water or other fluids, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid beverages containing alcohol, caffeine, or high amounts of sugar.
• Never leave children, pets, or those who require special care in a parked car.
• Avoid strenuous activity, or plan it for the coolest part of the day, usually in the morning between 4 AM and 7 AM or in the evening. If you exercise, drink two to four glasses of cool, nonalcoholic fluids each hour. A sports beverage can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. If you are used to regular exercise, just keep in mind the symptoms of heat illness when exercising and stop or rest if any occur.
• Be careful if you take a cold shower to stay cool – sudden temperature changes can make you feel dizzy or sick.

Contact: Judith Graham Kane (OEM): 718-422-4888

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