NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — While most people beat the heat inside, the Emergency Support Unit with Nashville's Office of Emergency Management hit the road.
"I think the biggest concern is that people who are going to be exposed to the extreme temperatures throughout the day might not even realize that heat exhaustion is creeping in on them," said Field Operations Supervisor, Matthew Cerone.
Four teams patrolled different parts of the county handing out cold water bottles to those in need. It's estimated the teams will have distributed 500 water bottles by the end of the day.
"So this is the prime hours of the day between one to five that we like to get out and search for vulnerable populations," said Cerone.
With temperatures in the high 90's, they can feel like a sweltering 100 degrees. OEM does the heat patrols when the heat index reaches 105 degrees. In extreme heat, it doesn't take long for the effects of heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke, to set in.
"When we're driving if we see people that are in distress or need medical attention, people that we think are suffering from heat exhaustion, we will radio it into our dispatcher," said Cerone.
Despite handing out hundreds of bottles Cerone said the hardest part is knowing there are others still out there. "You know, you want to be able to help everybody and that isn't always the case," he said.
But Cerone said the ones they do find make it all worth it. "You know this is our home, these are our neighbors and if we can help take care of them when they don't have any other assistance coming - that's why we're here, that's what we live for," he said.
