With triple digit temperatures lingering into September, officials are tasked with making sure high school football players can compete safely.
Phoenix recently broke the record for the most days in a year with temperatures of at least 110-degrees.
To keep players from overheating, schools monitor athlete conditions in real time and are ready with cooling therapies when a player starts to show signs of heat-related illness.
Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Director David Hines said before the season started, they eased players into their uniforms.
“They are required to have three days of practice in only helmets, three additional days with helmets and shoulder pads, before they can get into full pads," Hines said.
Cooling therapies could be anything from an ice bath to a garbage can with water and ice. Hines added that coaches also encourage frequent water breaks.
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Arizona’s largest electric utility will no longer disconnect customers’ power when temperatures exceed 95 degrees, following a settlement with the Attorney General’s Office. -
The victim was an older adult male, but officials have not released any additional details about the case. Temperatures this spring have been much hotter than average. -
According to National Weather Service data, temperatures have averaged about 8.3 degrees above-normal so far this month – the third-hottest start to April on record in Phoenix. -
The Industrial Commission of Arizona voted to adopt heat safety guidelines for workplaces in the state. But labor groups still hope for enforceable regulations. -
Arizona labor groups are calling for state regulations to require specific protections from heat in workplaces. But actions from the state have so far fallen short of what workers have called for.
