It was déjà vu yet again, extreme heat making its way through New York state.
In anticipation of the heat, hours awere extended at some state park swimming facilities for Thursday and Friday, which is expected to turn dangerously warm. Heat advisories are in affect for portions of the state.
While New Yorkers are used to taking difficult weather conditions in stride, precautions were encouraged for over the next couple of days.
At one Boys and Girls Club camp, those precautions are taken seriously.
“Our most important goal is to keep them safe in the heat,” said Michelle Jenkins, an education change agent who oversees the Boys and Girls Club summer camp program an Lawson Lake in Albany County.
“An opportunity for the community kids to get out of the city and come and enjoy environmental experiences”, Jenkins said.
Part of those experiences, is weather which has provided plenty lessons this year.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for the children to see how it looks when it’s wet up here. We keep them busy, inside with multiple activities,” she said.
But as dangerously high temperatures roll into parts of our state, Jenkins says other safety measures are taken.
“We usually do a rotation with our children. We make sure we keep them hydrated. We’ll give them maybe 30 minutes out, 30 minutes in,” Jenkins said.
Experts say those modifications at camp are critical.
“Even though it’s hot out, their skin may look cool or clammy," said Dr. Danielle Wales, an attending physician. "They may have goosebumps. They may complain of feeling weak or faint. They complain of having a headache or cramping.”
It’s considered as a precursor to the more serious heat stroke.
“Their body temperature actually gets above 104 degrees. They may actually stop sweating, which means they won’t be able to cool themselves off at all,” Wales said.
That can lead to seizures and other complications, so it’s best to seek help if your child is displaying symptoms..
“The important thing is have a plan to cool off, having access to fluids,” Wales said.