Area officials taking precaution with extreme heat in forecast

UPDATE: 9/1/17 5:30PM

If you are headed to the beach for Labor Day weekend, you are not alone. Many are packing up the gear and heading to Santa Cruz or other beaches on the central coast.

As the streets get busier, so do first responders. Emergency crews are expecting an increase in 9-1-1 calls, traffic accidents and other heat related incidents. Health officials are urging people who plan to be in the sun this weekend to know where the shade is, stay hydrated and do not leave pets, children or elderly loved ones in the car.

As some areas in Santa Cruz County hit triple digit temperatures, schools are also facing challenges. Christopher Schiermeyer, Assistant Superintendent of the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, says close to 75% of their classrooms do not have air conditioning. In this case, teachers will move their students into another room if theirs get too hot. School officials say they are also stocked with extra waters and make the students safety a top priority.

Schiermeyer says during the peak hours of the school day they have students stay inside for breaks and avoid outside activity. Boulder Creek Elementary school has also purchased portable AC units to be installed in some of the classrooms without AC.

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It’s been a hot topic for a few days now and will likely be for the rest of the weekend…the weather, that is.

From opening cooling centers, to changing times for physical activity, many people in the area are gearing up for hotter temperatures.

And not everyone has the luxury of getting out of the heat. Some classrooms within the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District don’t have air conditioning at all. And with temps in the area already exceeding 105, administrators are doing what they can to make sure students are cool.

KION’s Ashley Keehn will have more this evening at 5 and 6.