Cold Weather Keeps Emergency Crews Busy
By: Vanessa Herring
Updated: January 23, 2013
Along
with typical medical emergencies, Rural Metro crews were busy with cold
weather calls, "a lot of slip and falls, a lot of just cold," said Jeff
Nelson, an EMT basic at Rural Metro, "people outside not knowing what
to do."
With temperatures in the single digits elderly people and children are at the greatest risk, "the younger children you'll see more of the sledding accidents, the playing outside," explained June Sheppard, a crew chief with Rural Metro, "with the elderly it's the slip and fall on the ice trying to get to and from their vehicles."
Paramedics say everyone should be cautious of the cold weather and take steps to protect themselves, "bundle up, limit the amount of time that you're there, hats, gloves, scarves," explained Nelson.
EMT's say if you start feeling the effects of the cold like loss of feeling in your fingers, toes, nose and ears you should go inside to get warm. If you really start losing feeling and it's no longer painful, seek medical attention.
With temperatures in the single digits elderly people and children are at the greatest risk, "the younger children you'll see more of the sledding accidents, the playing outside," explained June Sheppard, a crew chief with Rural Metro, "with the elderly it's the slip and fall on the ice trying to get to and from their vehicles."
Paramedics say everyone should be cautious of the cold weather and take steps to protect themselves, "bundle up, limit the amount of time that you're there, hats, gloves, scarves," explained Nelson.
EMT's say if you start feeling the effects of the cold like loss of feeling in your fingers, toes, nose and ears you should go inside to get warm. If you really start losing feeling and it's no longer painful, seek medical attention.
