LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Extreme heat remains a top concern for the Southern Nevada Health District.
With more than 100 heat-related deaths reported last year, volunteers and health coordinators spent Friday and Saturday surveying Clark County residents on how they were affected by the summer heat.
The efforts are part of a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response technique.
Jeff Quin, the senior public health preparedness planner at SNHD, says heat exhaustion remains a priority.
"We had 123 deaths in 2017 that were heat related and 40 percent of those occurred during the month of July," he said.
The summer's sweltering temperatures affect those at home and on the streets.
"It's not unique to anyone. Our access and function need population which includes the homeless is a high concern but also children, and our senior Americans," said Quinn.
Volunteers Jorge and Rebecca are out surveying the southeast side of Las Vegas. They are hoping residents will fill out a 21-question survey.
"Mostly we are asking some basic information: do they have water and food for at least three days, where they would go for a cooling station," said Rebecca.
"Then we are going to get the results and it's going to inform everybody in the community," said Jorge.
Clark County resident Timothy Martin was once vulnerable to the valley's hot weather.
"After I had that heatstroke, [the doctor] told me, I can't go out, ‘you're going to get nauseous and dizzy,’ and I do. I have to stay indoors when it's hot."
The Health District hopes the information they collect will help residents stay cool by developing better emergency response plans.
