CHARLOTTE — The region is locked in one of the hottest stretches of the heat wave.
There is a heat advisory until 8 p.m. on Friday, and there is a Code Orange Air Quality Alert for several counties, including Mecklenburg.
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MEDIC prepared
MEDIC expects to have an influx of heat-related calls this weekend in Mecklenburg County.
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Wednesday was MEDIC’s second-busiest day of the year. They fielded 594 calls.
Some were for heat-related illness, but MEDIC said that people often have a pre-existing medical condition that is made worse by the extreme heat.
MEDIC plans to have more crews on hand this weekend for staffing, and they will be pre-positioned throughout the county to respond quickly, though that is not abnormal, officials said.
They’re prepared with the mass casualty bus if there’s a large incident, because so many people will likely be outside during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. They want you to take extra steps in the heat.
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“Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water or Gatorade,” said John Stroupe, MEDIC Operations supervisor. “If you’re going to be outside for an extended time, get a cool towel on your neck or stay in shade, or try and have a plan to. If you’re going to be outside for an hour, go back inside for 15-20 minutes to cool down.
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VIDEO: Roof Above helps people in the heat
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VIDEO: Heat-related calls expected to rise this holiday weekend
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