Extreme Heat Plan for Community Events
PURPOSE
To provide guidelines for City of Placentia management, staff, facilities and the public when the National Weather Service announces a Heat Advisory or Heat Warning.
POLICY AND PROCEDURES
The City of Placentia Community Services Department recognizes the importance of taking precautions in extreme heat situations. The department will prepare and place into effect precautionary measures when the National Weather Service announces a Heat Advisory or Heat Warning. In the following guidelines, "Activity" means programs, classes, leagues, daycare, concerts, parades, festivals, and all types of City of Placentia sponsored recreation activities; and "Facilities" means indoor and outdoor facilities.
I. Standard Procedures and Protocols
a. On the day of an event, organizers and personnel are encouraged to use the OSHA— NIOSH Heat Safety tool app found in the apple app store to determine the current heat index and use as a reference to identify signs and symptoms of heat illness or injury. ( https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/heataoo.html) b. In situations with advanced notice of heat advisories and/or warnings during normal business hours, the department will assess activities known to be scheduled in city facilities as well as those teams and programs representing the department with games or activities scheduled outside the city.
c. The Director of Community Services has the option to cancel, reschedule or adjust as necessary all activities in City facilities on the advice of the Chief of Police or Fire Chief if they determine it is in the best interest of individuals and/or staff participating in activities. The public information office (P10) and the departments staff would be notified, and all public media would be notified, and closure implemented. d. City Departments are to implement program specific adjustments as precautionary methods such as alerting key program coordinators of their on-call status, arrangement of water, cooling areas, options for activity – specific rule modifications, temporary postponements, and if deemed feasible – arranging of staffed medical tents.
1. Participants of the City of Placentia sponsored activities that are involved in a program not under City jurisdiction have the authority to accept a forfeit if they feel it is in the best interest of their players from a health perspective. e. Program Coordinators in consultation with onsite program resources have the authority to make program -wide modifications, postponements or cancel activities if they feel precautionary measures in place aren't satisfactory or if the participants desire to end the activity.
f. On location, unless otherwise determined via pre-advisory/warning instructions the Community Services Director, Field Marshals, Leaders, and City Officials have the authority to modify, postpone or stop any activity if they feel precautionary measures in place aren't satisfactory or if the participants desire to end the contest, event or activity.
Program Coordinators must be notified of any action as soon as possible. Except for
typical league games or practices, some activities (camps, tournaments games, etc.) must obtain the approval of the program coordinator for final cancellation of activity. g. Some organizations (internal and external) may prefer to cancel their activity in the event of an extreme heat episode. An option to accommodate individuals displaced by the cancellation of an activity may be to offer program credits (i.e., pavilion picnic users) or an alternated date and time if feasible. This accommodation would also include league teams working out scenarios with a sports manager. h. Department forced cancellations of any non -sponsored activity (tournaments, picnic rentals, etc..) due to heat concerns requires the approval of the Director of Community Services or designee as the appointing authority. Program Coordinators and affected staff shall be notified of these cancellations.
i. In the event of a heat related illness or injury, appropriate first aid should be made available and emergency services contacted if deemed appropriate.
II. Communications / Public Relations
a. The City of Placentia shall communicate any cancellations of City sponsored activities.
III. Summary of Heat Advisory / Warning
Below are key markers that kick in the Extreme Heat Plan preparation and discussions.
Forecast Heat Index Category
126+
105+
Summary Plan
Extreme Danger All outdoor City sponsored activities suspended Danger All outdoor City Sponsored activities suspended
95 - 103 Extreme Caution
All outdoor City Sponsored activities suspended.
90 -94 Extreme Caution
80 — 89 Caution
Automatically kicks in the discussion phase of Extreme Heat Plan Guidelines and begins preparation for additional
activity specific pre -cautionary measures as well as
provides flexibility to onsite personnel and officials to institute activity or rule modifications. Reminder:
Individuals who choose not to participate in these
conditions will not be penalized.
Coaches, leaders, event directors, officials observe
participants carefully for signs of heat injuries or
exhaustion. Assure and schedule participants for water
breaks. Water is to be always available. Individual
participants are not required to participate in these
conditions.
Relative Humidity (%)
NWS Heat Index Temperature ("F)
40 45
50 55
60 65
70 75
80 85
90 95
100
80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100 102 104 106 108 110
80 81 83 85 88 91 94 97 101 105 109 114 119 124
80 82 84 87 89 93 96 100 104 109 114 119 124
81 83 85 88 91 95 99 103 108 113 118 124
81 84 86 89 93 97 101 106 112 117 124
82 84 88 91 95 100 105 110 116 123
82 85 89 93 98 103 108 114 121
83 86 90 95 100 105 112 119
84 88 92 97 103 109 116 124
84 89 94 100 106 113 121
85 90 96 102 110 117
86 91 98 105 113 122
86 93 100 105 117
87 95 103 112 121
Likelihood of Heat Disorders with Prolonged Exposure or Strenuous Activity ❑ Caution ❑ Extreme Caution
• Danger • Extreme Danger
Water/Rest/Shade Best Practices
Water
The water provided should be sufficient quantities of pure and cool potable drinking water (i.e. enough to provide at least one quart per person per hour). Proper hydration is essential to prevent heat -related illness. Participants should not rely on feeling thirsty to prompt them to drink. They should be reminded to drink on a regular basis to maintain hydration throughout the day.
Rest
When heat index is high, participants should take breaks. The length and frequency of rest breaks should increase as the heat index rises. Breaks should last long enough for the participant to recover from the heat. How long is long enough? That depends on several factors including environmental heat and the participant's physical activity level, as well as the individual risk factors.
Shade
Participants should be given a cool location where they can take their breaks and recover from the heat.
This might mean a shady area, an air-conditioned vehicle, a nearby building or tent, or an area with fans and misting devices. Ideally the shaded area will allow the participant to rest comfortably and not restrict their movement.