New Strategies for Heat Waves

The New York Times ("How Paramedics Prepare for Heat Waves") describes how emergency medical workers in Arizona, Texas and other states are using large plastic bags or body bags to serve as "ice cocoons" that zip up around overheated patients.   The article reports that the Phoenix Fire Department is using  these "immersion bags" to bring down patient temperatures (record temperatures in Phoenix last year led to 645 deaths).

The article also reports that firefighters themselves are often at risk for overheating due to carrying heavy, hot equipement.