HARTFORD, Conn. — A small act of kindness goes a long way. As temperatures kept rising across Hartford and the state Tuesday, members of the Hartford Fire Department hit the community to help out residents and hand out water bottles.
“It was breathtaking because we were sitting over here thirsty,” one resident told FOX61, as the fire department rolled up to Corner Park.
The FOX61 Weather Team is forecasting multiple days of over 90-degree weather this week. They said this will likely be the state's first heat wave of the summer.
“We make sure that we go to the parks and let the community know that we’re here,” said Hartford Fire Lt. Felicia Graves.
First responders are trying to keep the heat-related calls to a minimum.
“We want to make sure people are hydrated so we don’t have to come to those types of cases,” said Graves.
Graves also said it’s important to stay cautious as temperatures continue to rise.
“Stay hydrated. If you sweat, make sure you replenish that. So that eight ounces of sweat you want to replace it," said Graves.
On the hot streets of Hartford, for many people that bottle of water makes them feel “thankful for the blessings."
The fire department will be back out on Wednesday to hand out water around the city.
Hartford is also one of the many cities and towns opening cooling centers this week. The public library branches and senior centers are open during the day this week to keep residents cool.
“We have about a 25% increase in visits when it gets really hot like this,” said Marie Jarry with Hartford Public Library.
Click here for more cooling centers across Connecticut.
DeAndria Turner is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. She can be reached at dturner@fox61.com.
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