YORK COUNTY, Pa. — As hundreds of thousands of people head to the York Fairgrounds this week, York State Fair organizers are working to ensure every guest stays safe amid sweltering temperatures.
With a heat index forecast to go up to 95 degrees on Wednesday and rise to 105 degrees by Friday, keeping cool is not merely a matter of comfort.
EMS crews at the fair say they had already responded to several heat-related calls.
“Most of them were dehydration issues,” said York State Fair EMS director Mark Moody. “People coming to the fair haven’t drunk enough water. We need people to start drinking a lot of water at least a day or two ahead of time if they know they’ve coming to the fair.”
The fair has two tents set up for people to sit and rest in the shade, as well as five misting stations across the fairgrounds.
“It’s actually really nice because it’s getting me icy wet and then when the air blows it keeps me nice and cool,” said Mollie Robinson of Shippensburg, as she took advantage of one of the misting stations Wednesday afternoon.
In addition, all buildings on the York Fairgrounds except Heroes Hall have air conditioning.
To prevent heat sickness, experts also recommend measures like wearing a hat, keeping a cool washcloth or ice pack on the back of your neck and drinking plenty of water.
“If you haven’t been urinating in the past hour, you need to drink more fluids,” said Moody. “Watch your urine. If it’s dark, you need to drink more fluids.”
Guests say they were taking the heat seriously and would be proactive to prevent heat-related illness.
“Drink water, ice, Gatorade. I mean the heat is a concern. We don’t want any heat casualties out here,” said Joshua Naimi of Mount Holly Springs.