Jul 8, 2008 4:26 pm US/Pacific
Beat The Heat! City Opens Free Cooling Centers
LOS ANGELES
With triple-digit temperatures expected in the valleys and mountains today, Los Angeles county public health officials opened cooling centers to help people without air conditioning beat the heat.
The cooling centers, available to seniors and anyone else looking to escape the heat, will be open during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, according to the Department of Public Health.
Some cooling centers, such as county libraries, will be open weekends.
A list of the cooling centers and operating hours is at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov. Also, people can call 211 to be directed to the cooling center nearest them.
If no public facilities are open at the time, public health experts suggested going to an air-conditioned mall or movie theater
"Prolonged exposure to the heat either in a home without air conditioning or outdoors may cause dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of the Department of Public Health.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
