Hot weather can be dangerous for anyone. Heat stroke can be deadly if not treated quickly and extreme heat can pose increased dangers for people experiencing homelessness.
The New Mexico Health Department launched a new heat safety initiative this summer that includes everything from heat kits to videos that walk people through how to help someone suffering from heat stroke and how to tell the difference between heat stroke and an overdose.
New Mexico officials will be talking about the program and sharing what they’ve learned about keeping people safe during heat waves at the “Heat, Health and Action: Community Solutions from New Mexico” program on Wednesday, Aug. 26 as part of St. Luke’s and Idaho Clinicians for Climate Health Fall lecture series.
Idaho Matters spoke with:
- Daniella Matthews-Trigg, the Program Manager with the Mobile Homelessness Response Project at the New Mexico Department of Health Harm Reduction Section
- Dr. Paul Charlton, the Board Chair of Healthy Climate New Mexico
- Kelly Watson, Communications Specialist with the New Mexico Department of Health Harm Reduction Section
- Alex Brooks, the Climate Action & Sustainability Coordinator with the City of Boise
