FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 28, 2006

Heat death second this year in Kansas City, Mo.

Residents reminded to look in on high-risk neighbors twice a day

The City of Kansas City, Mo., Health Department has been notified by the Jackson County Medical Examiner's Office that heat exposure was a factor in the death of a 62-year-old Kansas City, Mo., man.

The victim, who lived in the Valentine/Broadway area, had pre-existing conditions that hindered his mobility and may have made him more susceptible to the heat. The victim had a non-working window air conditioner. He was found by police who were responding to a call from concerned neighbors who had tried to offer him assistance earlier in the day.

People who have chronic medical conditions or are disabled make up one of the five categories at highest risk for heat-related illnesses or death. Other high-risk groups include the elderly; the economically disadvantaged; people taking certain medications, including narcotics, sedatives and diuretics; and infants less than 1 year old. In this case, at least one or more of these high-risk categories may have been a factor in this death.

Heat-related deaths can be prevented. The Health Department recommends checking on relatives, friends and neighbors who are in one of the five high-risk categories once in the morning and once in the evening during extreme heat conditions. If you have any doubts about a person's welfare, call 9-1-1.

Heat information can be found on the Health Department's Web page (www.kcmo.org/health). For general information on heat signs and symptoms, call the Action Center, (816) 513-1313. For heat information and community resources, call the Health Department's community partner United Way 211 line, at 2-1-1 or (816) 474-5112.