Salute to America attendees brave heat during fest
Keriana Gamboa
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The annual Salute to America festival was held Friday around the Capitol in Jefferson City and included areas set up to help attendees beat the heat.
A cooling station and a reusable water bottle refill station were available, as was a Jefferson City bus with cool air and water.
Cole County Emergency Medical Services worked alongside Jefferson City police and fire departments during the event to respond quickly to anyone who may have become ill due to the extreme heat.
“As the sun’s out this time of year, you can’t stress enough to hydrate before you come out. Obviously, if you get too hot, we’ve got a response vehicle set up that we can come grab you, get you to the cooling center, get you cooled off, and if necessary, treat you and get you to the hospital,” Cole County Medical Services Capt. Mike Shirts said.
Officials advised anyone who attended the event to come prepared for the high temperatures by staying hydrated, wearing light clothing and taking frequent breaks to cool down.
At least one person suffered a heat-related illness, which resulted in an EMS response. EMS officials at the scene told ABC 17 News that they were expecting more throughout the rest of the day.
Attendees told ABC 17 News they used a variety of methods to stay cool during the Independence Day festivities.
“Yeah, using hats, anything. I’ve got light clothing on to stay cool. There’s a nice breeze here. It’s coming through. And so, yeah, we’re. We’re doing great,” attendee Ted Web said.
Festivities kicked off at 2 p.m., with the parade beginning two hours later. Several streets were closed as of Thursday, including roads surrounding the Capitol grounds, the 200 block of Broadway and the 100 blocks of East High Street.
Those streets will back open again by 2 a.m. Saturday morning.