Make This a Summer of Safety

Summer weather brings new threats for Californians, like wildfire, smoke, extreme heat, and power outages. These risks are all interrelated and can have the greatest impact on California’s most at-risk populations. Listos California has resources to help you and others make this a Summer of Safety:

Stay Safe in

Extreme Heat

Stay Safe in Extreme Heat

Watch for Signs of Heat Illness

In the summer, multiple days and nights of hot weather can be very dangerous. Getting too hot can make people sick. California Department of Health recommends learning the signs and how to help someone with heat illness:

Heat stroke: red, hot, dry skin; very high body temperature; dizziness; nausea; confusion, strange behavior, or unconsciousness; rapid pulse or throbbing headache. Call 9 – 1 – 1.
Heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, cramps, headache, nausea or vomiting, tiredness, weakness, dizziness and fainting. Move to a cool place and get medical help if vomiting or symptoms get worse or last longer than 1 hour.

Keep Cool

When temperatures are very high, make sure to:

Stay hydrated. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink.
Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and a hat outdoors.
Wear sunscreen and avoid too much sun.
Slow down and avoid exercise during the hottest parts of the day.

Stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. If your home doesn’t have air conditioning or if there was a power outage, find a public place you can go to get out of the heat:

Libraries, shopping malls, and community centers can be cool places to take a break from the heat.
Ask neighbors, friends, or family if they have a cool place you can hang out.
Call your local county to find a location near you to keep cool.

If you work outside:

Take breaks to cool down.
Your employer must give you water, rest, and shade.

Look out for Others

For people who are 65 or older, heat can be especially dangerous. Make a plan with a friend, relative, or neighbor who will call or come check on you twice a day while it is hot outside.
Bring pets inside. Make sure they have plenty of fresh water.
Make sure everyone is out of the car whenever you park. Never leave a child, adult, or animal alone inside a parked vehicle. Temperatures inside a car can rise almost 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes causing heat stroke or death.

Stay Safe in

Fast & Cold Water

Stay Safe in Fast & Cold Water

Rivers and other bodies of water are colder, deeper, and faster than normal because of melting snow and more rain than past years. Even on hot and sunny days, open water can be too cold and too fast for the best swimmers.

Watch out for:

Very cold water. Get out as quickly as possible to avoid shock and hypothermia.
Slippery surfaces near moving water. Don’t fall in.
Uneven surfaces at the bottom of rivers. Be careful where you put your feet.
Hidden trees and rocks under the water. Avoid getting trapped or hit.
Distractions such as drinking alcohol or looking at your cell phone. Stay alert.
Children playing near water. Make sure an adult keeps watch on them at all times.
Wet clothing. Bring extra clothes to change into to stay warm.

Life vests can save your life!

Wear a vest when swimming, boating, or playing near the water.
Vests help you keep warmer and make you float for easier rescue.
Borrow vests from state parks or fire departments if you do not have them.
Children should always wear a life vest when within 20 feet of the water.

What to do if you fall in cold water:

Do not panic. Breathe slowly to keep calm. Kick off heavy shoes.
Swim to the shore as soon as possible. Do not swim upstream. It will tire you out.
If you are wearing a life jacket, float on your back.
If you fall out of a boat that flipped over, try to get on top of it to wait for rescue.

What to do if someone else falls in cold water:

Throw them something that floats and tell them to hold on.
Call 9-1-1.
Do not try to save them yourself.

Stay Safe in a

Power Outage

Stay Safe in a Power Outage

Prepare for Possible Shutoffs

Planning ahead for power outages is the best way to ensure everyone’s safety until the lights come back on.
During times of extreme weather, power may be shut off by your power company for public safety and to protect communities.
Sign up for alerts through your energy company so you can be notified about power shutoffs. If you use electric medical and assistive devices, be sure to enroll in a medical baseline program to ensure you receive notification of upcoming or current power shutoff events.

Before a Power Outage

If you use electric medical and assistive devices, create a personal disaster plan with family and caregivers for how to meet your needs during a power outage.
Get flashlights or lanterns with extra batteries, and surge protectors for sensitive devices. Do not use candles or oil lanterns for light.
Keep phones and backup batteries fully charged.
Have access to a battery-powered radio for news.
Have freezer packs, ice, and a cooler ready to keep food and medicine cold.
If you have an electric garage door, learn how to use the manual release lever.
Know where your circuit breakers and fuse boxes are and how to check them.
Have phone numbers written down in case of an emergency.

During a Power Outage

Report downed power lines to 9 – 1 – 1 and your utility. Keep people and pets away. Don’t drive over downed power lines. If one touches your car, stay away.
Turn off everything that was on before the outage. Leave one light on that you will see when power is back.
Unplug sensitive electronic equipment if you do not have surge protectors.
Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home. Don’t use a grill inside for cooking food.
Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours. Use coolers with ice if necessary.
Use a generator outside only, at least 20 feet from doors and windows. Indoors, its poisonous exhaust can kill in minutes.
Go to a community location with power if heat or cold is extreme. In extended outages, call your local county to find shelter locations. Public shelters serve everyone and cannot ask for ID. Some shelters may better serve people with disabilities or pets.
Check if neighbors, friends, or family have power and ask if you can come there – or offer your home if you have power and others don’t.

Stay Safe in a

Wildfire

Stay Safe in a Wildfire

Sign Up for Alerts & Make A Plan

Sign up for free emergency alerts with your county or local officials because wildfires can move quickly.
You can choose how to get alerts sent to you when you sign up, including cell phone, home phone, email, text messages, and in some cases, TTY devices.

Make A Plan

Wildfires may cause power outages, so have backup plans for electrical medical devices and medicines that must be refrigerated and have a battery-powered radio so you can hear emergency updates.
Get a map and plan three different exit routes where you live and work in case of road closures or unexpected changes in conditions.
Talk with your family and make an evacuation plan so everyone knows where to go when disaster strikes.
- Choose familiar places to meet up and practice getting there. Pick one in your neighborhood, one outside your neighborhood, and one outside your town in case you have to change plan based on fire location. These could be the home of a relative or friend or a store, library, or park.
- If you have pets or service animals, think about animal-friendly places to meet.
Have a Go Bag packed with necessary items like money, important documents, phones, medicines and medical devices. Make sure to have key items for babies, elders, people with medical needs, and pets.

Don’t Wait, Evacuate

Listen and watch for evacuation warnings and orders. An evacuation warning means get ready to leave.
If you need extra time to leave because of children, older adults, people with access and functional needs or pets and livestock, then leave during an evacuation warning.
An evacuation order means leave immediately. Don’t wait because your life and your family are in danger.
To find exit routes and safe shelters during a wildfire call your local or county authorities. Know that public disaster shelters are free and no one can ask you for ID. Reach out ahead to see which shelters may better serve people with disabilities or pets.
If you become trapped by fire, call 9-1-1 and tell them where you are. So rescuers know where to find you, turn on the lights in your home, or vehicle headlights and emergency flashers. Help may not be able to reach you or come quickly. That’s why evacuating early is very important.

Stay Safe in

Wildfire Smoke

Stay Safe in Wildfire Smoke

Smoke from wildfires can make the air very unhealthy for you, your loved ones, and your pets, even if the fire is very far away.

Breathing this air is especially harmful for sensitive groups, like children, older adults, and those with pre-existing health conditions.

Know How to Check Air Quality Conditions

The Air Quality Index (AQI) shows how much smoke, ash, and pollution is in the air. The AQI uses a simple system of numbers and colors to help you understand the level of danger to your health.
To know if the air where you live, work, study, or play is safe, visit airnow.gov.

Stay Safe Indoors

Stay indoors and keep children and pets inside as much as possible.
If you’re inside, keep doors and windows closed to avoid wildfire smoke.
Use air purifiers if you have them.
Turn off ventilation fans or anything allowing outdoor air to enter. Set your air conditioning to reuse air that’s already in the house.
Don’t burn candles or oil lanterns inside.
Minimize use of stoves or fireplaces that run on propane or gas. If you need to use a gas stove, turn on the hood fan.

Stay Safe Outside and On the Go

When unhealthy smoky air reaches your community, wear a mask that will protect you from small particles. A regular cloth or surgical mask won’t help.
If you work outside, wear a mask that protects you from fine particles.
If you are evacuating, bring inhalers and medications.
Look out for others in your community, including your neighbors and loved ones.
In an emergency or if someone has difficulty breathing, call 9-1-1.

Get Disaster Ready This Summer

Summer is a great time to get out and meet people. Make an effort to introduce yourself to people in your neighborhood or building. Just knowing who’s around you is one step toward being prepared.

If you are getting together with family this summer, have a short conversation with loved ones about who you and they will need to connect with before, during, and right after an emergency. Use our Summer of Safety resources to start talking and planning together.

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