Many unhoused people have to spend most of their time outdoors. To help them cope with Tallahassee’s extreme heat and humidity, Florida State University Associate Athletic Director for Health and Performance Scott Trulock was sharing information at the Kearney Center on Wednesday, July 22. Trulock’s day job is helping football players deal with the heat during pre and early season practice. He says such precautions are even more important for those who have no escape from soaring temperature and humidity: such as those whose routine residence is out-of-doors.
“We really have to exhaust our resources to find shade when we can to limit exposure. Because it really can be cumulative. It’s not just the moment that you’re in the adverse conditions and the high temps. Day after day, week after week, we definitely see a cumulative effect on that.”
Trulock told his audience there are things they can do to minimize their exposure to what can be dangerous conditions.
“We know our environment is going to be challenging, so can we make sure we have available water to drink? That’s a big part of it. Loose fitting clothing that won’t keep heat in. If we can, avoiding the hottest times of the day from noon until 5 or 6 o’clock when the sun’s still in the sky. Those are the things we want to try and avoid if we can.”
Meanwhile the Kearney Center is looking for ways to get more health-related resources into the streets to help those who live there.
