Heat Is a Mass Casualty Event | Spokane News

Extreme heat is killing people and overwhelming hospitals — not with sirens or smoke, but with silent, creeping danger. A trauma surgeon in Baltimore witnessed a death simply because the air was too hot, highlighting how deadly heat can be. Unlike hurricanes or shootings, heat builds up slowly, catching hospitals off guard. While we have surge plans for sudden disasters, we’re only activating them after the heat has already flooded ERs with patients. Meteorologists can predict dangerous heat days in advance — we just need to act on it. Hospitals already know how to prepare: bring in staff, postpone surgeries, stock cooling gear and chilled IVs. The time to act is before the first patient arrives. As extreme weather becomes more common, heat-related hospital visits will rise — and we must treat it like the predictable mass casualty event it is. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/839150c746888745