Cooling Centers

The current heat wave will be with us for at least another day. If you are without air conditioning in your home and need a cool place to be for a while several options are available.

LaGrange Town Hall is open for you during normal business hours today and tomorrow. Court is in session this evening at 4 PM, so limited access is available between 4 and about  7 PM.

On Wednesday July 7th, town hall is open at 8:30 AM and will remain open through the Town Board workshop session which begins at 7 PM.

Dutchess County Government will be operating cooling centers at the following locations:

Cooling center information and updates will be available at www.dutchessny.gov or residents can call 211 or Dutchess County’s HELPLINE at 485-9700.

City of Poughkeepsie
Salvation Army
19 Pershing Avenue
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

City of Beacon
Dutchess County Community Action Agency
554 Main Street
Beacon, NY 12508

Town of Pawling
Senior Center
156 Charles Coleman Blvd
Pawling, NY 12564

Hamlet of Wassaic
Wassaic Firehouse
27 Firehouse Road
Wassaic, NY 12592

Important Heat Safety Tips

Child Safety Tips
Check to make sure seating surfaces and equipment (child safety seat and safety belt buckles) aren’t too hot when securing your child in a safety restraint system in a car that has been parked in the heat.
Never leave your child unattended in a vehicle, even with the windows down.
Teach children not to play in, on, or around cars.
Always lock car doors and trunks — even at home — and keep keys out of children’s reach.
Always make sure all child passengers have left the car when you reach your destination. Don’t overlook sleeping infants.

Adult Heat Wave Safety Tips
Slow down. Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day. Individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.
Dress for summer. Lightweight light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.
Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods (like proteins) that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.
Drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty. Persons who (1) have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease, (2) are on fluid restrictive diets or (3) have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their consumption of fluids. Do not drink alcoholic beverages.
Spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduces danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, spending some time each day (during hot weather) in an air conditioned environment affords some protection.
Don’t get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult
Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.