Kentucky high schools face extreme heat

PARIS, Ky. (FOX 56) — This week’s heat is no joke and is affecting nearly every aspect of our lives, even forcing many local schools to cancel practices and games and altering the way teams practice outdoors.

“At the end of the day, it’s about keeping our athletes safe,” said Bourbon County High School athletic trainer Andrew Wagner.

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But these extreme temperatures make it a little more difficult to do so. High school administrators in Bourbon County and across the state are making changes to adapt to the heat.

“Most of our teams are practicing later or not practicing at all. Band is not practicing today, so we’re just… waiting for the heat wave to pass,” BCHS Athletic Director Wendy Mahanna said.

These schedule changes are in line with policies recently implemented by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. And schools make these decisions using a device called a wet bulb temperature monitor.

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It takes into account several aspects of heat, such as temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation.

“It’s not as simple as heat index readings. It’s actually a little bit more forgiving, because it takes all those numbers into account. So, the later in the afternoon it is, the less you need to cancel,” Mahanna said.

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Temperature readings must be taken 30 minutes before the start of an event and must be done at the location where the event will be held.

So if soccer practice is at 7:00, a reading would have to be done at 6:30 on the soccer field.

Schools then make changes depending on how hot the device registers.

“When we hit a wet bulb temperature of 82.1 degrees, that’s when we start. That’s when we’re in a yellow zone and that’s when you have to start doing things like adding additional water for the break,” Wagner says. “When we hit 92 degrees, that’s when we can’t do anything else, because when it’s closed, you have to go inside.”

The device recorded around 87.4 degrees, which puts it in the second most severe heat range.

As the heat continues, Bourbon County school leaders are taking it day by day.

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“We prepare for it and make sure we have enough water, getting our readings and making adjustments as needed,” Mahanna said.

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