ROGERS, Ark. — When confronted with what feels like triple-digit temperatures, many people in Arkansas are doing anything they can to stay cool.
For some, that means heading to the waterpark.
Lifeguards at the Rogers Aquatics Center say they reach capacity on the hottest days of the summer, and warn that even at the pool, it is important to be aware of these extreme heat temperatures.
As lead lifeguards at Rogers Aquatics, Samantha Zemlicka and Maggie-Cate Bray have been trained to spot the signs of overheating.
Zemlicka says it often happens when people are standing in line outside on hot days.
“We’ll be at capacity and we'll have a line up front with a one-in, one-out type of situation,” Zemlicka said. “And people overheat outside, so we have to get water for them and give them a chair, somewhere to cool off.”
As they all work long hours in the sun, the lifeguards also look out for each other.
“As a lead guard, my job is to make sure that my guards have water all the time, never empty-handed,” Zemlicka said. “We have coolers in our break room all the time that we're using to fill up, and we're filling up the coolers with ice water.”
Zemlicka and Bray say they also make sure each guard gets the chance to cool off in the water or take an air-conditioned break, and they say that’s something everyone should do.
“Stay hydrated, make sure you're getting rest, good sleep at night. And just staying in the shade,” Bray said.
“For sure you need to be wearing sunscreen because that's a big thing,” Zemlicka added. “and if you can, stay out of the heat, but if you're in the heat, make sure you're hydrated like she said.”
If you do get overheated, it’s important to take action.
“We have to take them out of the heat as soon as possible, keep them hydrated and make sure that they're in a cold area,” Zemlicka said. “We'll bring them into the AC and then we'll also put towels around them to cool them off.”
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