|
|
|
HEALTH Heat Related Death In the summer of 1993, Philadelphia experienced a severe heat wave causing an extreme outbreak of what appeared to be heat-related deaths. As a result of ground-breaking investigative work by Philadelphia's Medical Examiner's Office, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed the diagnostic criteria employed in Philadelphia and found that the Medical Examiner's Office had properly certified the deaths as heat-related. Heat-related death is now officially recognized and defined as a death caused or significantly contributed to by exposure to high temperature. Partly in response to the 1993 heat wave that was blamed for the deaths of 115 people, the Department of Public Health set up an elaborate heat-emergency plan. The Division of Health Promotion coordinates this program which includes prevention and education programs prior to a dangerous heat wave as well as coordinated intervention and mitigation efforts during periods of dangerously high heat. The plan includes a heat warning system that is issued by the Department of Health. A level 1 warning indicates that one to four deaths would likely occur; in Level 2, five to 14 deaths; and in Level 3, 15 or more deaths. Also as part of that plan, the city's thousands of block captains are asked use the Department's "Buddy System" and look in on the elderly, the most likely to suffer heat-related death. On September 14, 1995, the Department of Public Health was a joint recipient of a City Council resolution for its heat alert system. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|