SACRAMENTO, Calif — First responders expect to have their hands full this week with people calling in about heat-related illnesses.
However, Sacramento firefighters do have a plan in place to make sure they can respond to calls.
Monday is the start of a heat wave expected to last throughout the week.
Some people are already preparing by stopping at Home Depot to purchase air conditioners, fans and anything to keep their home cool.
"It's scorching, it's horrible and we're doing our best to beat the heat," said Troy Holman, who stopped by Home Depot with his son.
The father and son duo work outside and can't avoid the heat. They were at Home Deport buying Gatorades to stay hydrated.
Other customers bought air conditioners and supplies to keep them running.
"The biggest thing is to make sure your AC is functioning, and it's functioning properly. I mean your AC could be functioning and not kicking out cold air, and the filters are just a part of that. But a clean filter is going make your system overall run better and more efficient," said Steven Buethe, a handyman stopping by Home Depot.
The Sacramento Fire Department said they expect an increase in call volume because of heat-related illnesses during the heat wave.
"There's heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and heat exhaustion is when you feel tired, maybe a headache, lightheaded and you're profusely sweating. Your skin is starting to turn a little bit red, if you will, and then you progress into heat stroke. It's just like a stroke," said Capt. Justin Sylvia, spokesman for Sacramento Fire Department.
Signs can include experiencing confusion or if someone stops sweating. That's when you need to call for help.
If you're headed to the river, Councilmember Eric Guerra said you must take precautions.
"We've already seen a number of drownings on the American River and the Sacramento River. Those waters may look calm, but underneath, there's a current. And so we want to encourage people to take precautions, use life jackets, get a loaner one. But most importantly, also keep an eye on your kids to make sure they don't fall in the river without any supervision," said Councilmember Guerra.
First responders with Sacramento Fire plan to keep up with the influx of calls this week by increasing staffing.
"We will be trying to up staff our equipment, meaning that we're gonna be putting members on auxiliary pieces of equipment, mainly for grass fire. Luckily for us, we just graduated an academy with 34 recruits and these recruits just hit the ground running on Saturday. So they will be around for the Fourth of July holiday to help increase our staffing," said Capt. Sylvia.
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