Brookline Keeps Cooling Centers Open as Heat Wave Enters Second Day

Brookline officials are reporting no casualties and few medical emergencies as the region's heat wave enters its second day.

Brookline health officials issued a heat alert yesterday and designated several air-conditioned "cooling centers" at locations across town. The Kirrane Aquatics Center is also open and splash fountains at 15 town parks are running on schedule.

"We had a pretty full house yesterday, so people were clearly heeding the advice and coming out to the center," said Ruthann Dobek, director of the Brookline Senior Center, one of the designated cooling sites.

Dr. Alan Balsam, director of the Brookline Health Center, said use of the cooling centers was "light" today compared to Tuesday, when temperatures reached the upper 90s.

Brookline fire fighters were called to a mulch fire and a few small brush fires set off by careless smokers, but Brookline did not see any of the larger brush fires or power outages some state officials had feared.

Chief Peter Skerry said the few reported fire have been relatively small.

"It's a two-bit fire, but it ties us up for ten minutes or so," he said.

Paramedics have also responded to a few cases of heat exhaustion and dehydration, though nothing serious, the chief said. Police were also called to Route 9 parking lot after someone left three dogs in a sweltering car with the windows barely open, according to Sergeant Robert Disario.

Brookline officials are urging resident to avoid the midday sun, wear loose-fitting light-colored clothing and drink plenty of fluids, even when not thirsty.

At the Senior Center, staff visited individual classes with pitchers of ice water and encouraged visitors to drink. Dobek said people should check in on elderly friends and neighbors this week to make sure they're consuming enough liquid.

"That's  of the biggest risk for elders or anybody – sometimes you don't realize you're thirsty but you're getting dehydrated," she said.

The Senior Center operates an air-conditioned shuttle van for residents who cannot get to the center on their own. For more information, call 617-730-2770.

Daytime temperatures will remain in the 80s through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.