Harley-Davidson Plays Hardball In Wisconsin:

 Motorcycle, News  No Responses »
Oct 162010
 

Harley-Davidson plays hardball in Wisconsin: capitulate or we leave

No matter what marque a motorcyclist rides if they hear “Milwaukee, Wisconsin”, “Harley-Davidson” is the first thing comes to mind (or right behind beer). But now, barely two years after opening its self-referential museum in Milwaukee, Harley is threatening to move its manufacturing out of state.

It’s already shut the plant in Wauwatosa—and, of course, the Buell operations in East Troy closed down earlier this year. But Harley’s not doing well (more on that in the next entry) and desperate times call for desperate measures.

According to company spokesperson, Bob Klein, the Motor Company would rather stay there but is looking at other locations. Kansas City—who hoped to benefit from the troubles in York a few years ago—hopes to benefit from the Dairy state turning sour for Harley.

It all depends on the unions, according to Harley. All the workers have to do is agree to freeze their pay, cut hundreds of jobs, turn hundreds more into non-union jobs—many of which would be temporary jobs with no benefits. The three unions have encouraged their workers to accept the bad deal to keep the Motor Company in the state.

While Harley’s threat may sound drastic, a little history is in order to see this threat in its proper perspective:

In 2005, Harley-Davidson paid 1.5% of pre-tax profits in Wisconsin income tax resulting in almost $23 million in state taxes. In a series of political maneuvers and tacit threats to leave and promises to stay, employ and grow, H-D (and other big corporations) won tax rate breaks that had the Motor Company paying a mere $1 million in 2008 or less than 0.1% of profits.

In 2006, when Harley was riding high on the HOG, the Motor Company threatened to move manufacturing out of state unless the Wisconsin unions agreed to drastic cuts in wages and benefits. And, after some empty saber rattling, the union capitulated.

In 2007, union workers in Pennsylvania went on strike for two weeks before basically capitulating to Harley’s contract that lowered wages and benefits.

During these same years when its revenue soared and state taxes plummeted and unions rolled over, Harley also received not just federal credit for research and development but a Wisconsin state Transportation Economic Assistance grant of over a quarter of a million dollars to the Harley plant in Tomahawk, WI. According to a case study by the Federal Highway Administration

“The goal of the TEA Program is to attract and retain non-speculative business firms and create or retain jobs in the State.”

Iow, Harley took a quarter of a million of taxpayer dollars to create or retain jobs in Tomahawk in 2009 and plans to not only cut them in 2010 but move out of state.

In 2009, the Motor Company cut 370 union jobs and about 300 administrative jobs with most occurring at the facility in Springettsbury Twp in York County, PA.

Early in 2009, Harley announced it was laying off 12% of its workforce amounting to 1,100 jobs. Later in 2009, Harley threatened to build a new plant in Shelbyville, Ky and close the plant in York—and in November, 2009 the union in Pennsylvania agreed to cut jobs and benefits to keep the plant open—and the state of Pennsylvania gave the Motor Company around $15 million to stay in the state.  Though Shelbyville lost that time, it is coyly silent on whether it’s in the running for the Wisconsin operations this time.

Back at corporate headquarters—still in 2009, Harley Corporate complained bitterly that they had to pay 22.5 million in bookkeeping charges to determine how much the company would owe in the future because Wisconsin closed a corporate tax loophole. Iow, they complained about paying less than they used to for an entire year. For more on this, read here:

Oh, it seemed justified in 2009—Harley suffered in the Great Recession with plummeting motorcycle sales and egregious problems with credit defaults and the inability to securitize those consumer loans. Altogether the Motor Company lost $55 million.

But it’s an ill wind that blows no good and Harley used the recession to do some massive house-cleaning:  Buying the MV Augusta—who had gone through several owners all unable to make the company profitable was one of the most colossally stupid corporate decisions it had made in decades. The recession gave a easy reason to sell it.

Somehow it attracted the interest and investment of the legendary Warren Buffet—and, of course, it used the Great Recession to strongarm Pennsylvania with the very same threat it is now using in Wisconsin. Hey, if it worked once, why not do it again.

By the time the lay-offs are done, the full-time permanent workforce York, PA will have been cut by more than half from 1,950 to 700-800 employees. Not to mention the huge cuts in the labor force elsewhere—and upcoming in Wisconsin if the workers accept the over-the-barrel deal the Motor Company offers.

But every cloud has a silver lining—Pennsylvania hopes that if Harley shuts its factories in Wisconsin and moves the work to Kansas City that some of the work done now in KC will move to York—making that $15 million investment and the sacrifices of the York unions worthwhile.

Of course that’s what Wisconsin thought when it gave Harley the TEA grant and those unions took a haircut years ago. Now Harley wants the workers to shave their heads. And, if the union workers bend over again tomorrow to keep Harley there—well…just how long do you think it will be before Harley is threatening again.

Which is a word to the wise in KC—when their union negotiations come up, how much do you want to bet that Harley threatens to move out of Missouri to Wisconsin and/or Pennsylvania or Kentucky or somewhere else unless those unions, too, accept Harley’s terms?

Of course, Harley—though shipments are down almost 26% over 2008—had made a profit at the end of the second quarter (more on this tomorrow) even though shipments are only marginally up over the same quarter a year ago.

Iow, workers’ sacrifices will pave the way to Harley not just surviving the recession but doing so profitably. (Of course, we don’t know what the 3 and 4 quarter results will be).

And before you give me any “unions are the curse of America” argument or the recession argument consider this: According to a op-ed piece, “Are Harley cuts a case of need or greed?” by Jack Norman published in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel yesterday, draconic cost-cutting is limited to the worker:

In 2009 when the USA was in the worst recession since the Great Depression and motorcycle sales had plummeted, the CEO salary (split between Zeimer and Wendell in 2009) was $1,105,169 with another $8,864,919 in extras.

External board members (not already on Harley’s payroll) collected $80,000 fee in 2009, plus $50,000 worth of stock. And things aren’t so bad at Harley that board members gave up their $1,500 annual allowance for clothes and accessories.

This at the same time as thousands (at the least) of their core demographic struggled to make their make their monthly payments or had to sell their bikes or had them repossessed. And more than 3,000 workers will have lost their jobs in the past two years.

But, hey, that’s the Great American Way, right? Except Harley has taken tens of millions from taxpayers—much of it based on promises to create or retain jobs.

In fact, Harley’s hand is always out either begging for bucks from taxpayers or strong-arming the American worker….it’s such a great example of the American free market, isn’t it?

The American worker who has been Harley’s base and yet, because of corporate shenanigans like Harley’s or Wall Streets have lost their jobs or forced to accept equally bad deals to keep a job while the CEOS suffer not at all. Really, does it deserve its fans that bleed black and orange?

Is Harley Cruising For A Bruising?

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Oct 152010
 

In 2009, Harley-Davidson embarked on an aggressive restructuring plan to avoid bankruptcy and retain investors: It shed Buell and MV Augusta; shut down factories; sold off machinery; reneged on promises to develop land and add jobs in a quid pro quo deal involving the museum; cut 2,000 jobs; forced the workers to pay more of their health insurance costs; and turned union jobs into fairly low-paid temp jobs.

The Motor Company’s threat to pull manufacturing from Wisconsin resulted in 25 million in tax credits even as the company throws hundreds onto the unemployment rolls—benefits that come out of taxpayer dollars.

Even though the Motor Company admitted enormous restructuring costs, it presented the 2Q results in an extremely favorable light—look, despite everything, the company rebounded from enormous losses and made a little profit.  And it’s leaner—and meaner—coming out of it.

Some analysts, though, question whether it’s a sound health and if the company will rebound in the future. Some are even recommending short selling the stock:

Seth Jackson, in a Motley Fool article, “Show Me the Money, Harley-Davidson” published after the second quarter results came out found the cash flow was disturbing: “When I say “questionable cash flow sources,” I mean line items such as changes in taxes payable, tax benefits from stock options, and asset sales, among others. That’s not to say that companies booking these as sources of cash flow are weak, or are engaging in any sort of wrongdoing, or that everything that comes up questionable in my graph is automatically bad news. But whenever a company is getting more than, say, 10% of its cash from operations from these dubious sources, I feel obliged to crack open the filings and dig even deeper, to make sure I’m in touch with its true cash profitability.”

Questionable cash sources, he points out, comprises 28% of the cash flow from operations for Harley-Davidson. “Harley has one of the messier cash flow statements out there, full of swings from “retained securitization interests” and other wonders of modern finance.”

In comparison, H-D’s nearest competitors FCF range from 13% (Polaris) to a negative 8% for BMW group. Iow, H-D’s FCF is over twice as much, which isn’t necessarily bad but it’s not necessarily good.

Then there’s the kind of savings that come from restructuring. The Motor Company says it “saved” $135 million to $155 million from the restructuring activities it’s undertaken beginning in 2009. Harley wants us to believe savings could go up to $240 million to $260 million a year.

Jeffery B. Middleswart, President and Director of Research at Behind The Numbers, says restructuring charges tell him a company made a mistake, especially when they come up often.

“They are telling you they screwed something up,” he said.

While huge savings in one year look impressive on a balance sheet, they generally aren’t duplicated again. There’s only so many times they can  borrow $600 million from investors, disassemble plants or throw hundreds into unemployment to look good for Wall Street mavens.

More to the point, Harley’s 2Q profit didn’t come from selling motorcycles—it came from selling off assets, laying off workers and borrowed money—specifically, it came from cleaning up some of the mess in the Financial Services subsidiary. The business of HDFS is primarily motorcycle loans. Making loans is not making motorcycles.

Ultimately, though, a motorcycle manufacturer has to sell bikes if it’s to stay in business. And they aren’t selling many—and the less motorcycles it makes, the less loans.

And such drastic measures surely convey that Harley-Davidson doesn’t believe it will be needing those factories or workers for a long time. And that speaks volumes about the kind of company H-D believes it will be in the future—one that won’t be selling a lot of motorcycles soon.

It’s also going to have $5 billion in net debt after the loans and restructuring costs.

It will take a lot of savings from restructuring and a hell of a lot of bikes sold to pay that back.

Another spot of concern is the increase in short selling of Harley stock. As another Motley Fool article, “Don’t Short These Stocks” by Jordan DiPietro pointed out that “droves” of investors are shorting Harley stock.

“Short Selling is the act of borrowing stock to sell with the expectation of price dropping and the intent of buying the stock back to replace at a cheaper price.”

“Short interest as a percentage of float, which is a great yardstick for how heavily shorted a stock actually is, typically remains below 5% — anything above that usually indicates a red flag.”

Harley’s short interest percentage of float was 10.7%–or twice what’s considered typical.

Iow, many investors believe Harley isn’t on the road to recovery for many of the reasons we’ve discussed—an aging demographic that’s uncertain about the security of their investments and pensions or are unemployed, massive net debt, questionable cash flow and a profit that came from financing bikes rather than making them.

Beyond all we’ve already talked about, there’s an odd little coincidence that suggests they might be right:

According to an article on the website Seeking Alpha, “Harley-Davidson: Looking for a Good Short? Shed Some Fat”,

The financial services company, BMO Capital Markets, (http://www.bmocm.com/) found that S& P’s Case-Shiller index of house prices correlated with Harley’s stock prices than any other measure such as “the unemployment rate, interest rates, gross domestic product and consumer sentiment scores…to explain the stock’s movements.”

Both existing and new home sales plummeted in July—but home prices were increasing slightly. Still, “While the numbers are upbeat, other more recent data on home sales and mortgages point to fewer gains ahead,” says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor’s.”

Existing home sales rose slightly in August, but were still down not only from June but from August 2009. New home sales were static from July. Case-Shiller results will be announced this coming week.

Harley stock price rose slightly after the unions caved in Wisconsin—this strengthens the correlation with Case-Shiller house prices though one has nothing to do with the other.

However, home sales—either new or existing—speaks of a widespread economic health. And if people can afford to buy a house, they might afford an over-priced motorcycle. It could be that  home sales are bellwether of motorcycle sales, it’s very likely that Harley shipments were soft in the third quarter. We’ll find out on October 19 when the Motor Company releases its third quarter results.

Moscow Motorcyclist’s Crazy High-Speed Commute

 Motorcycle, News  1 Response »
Sep 292010
 

Driving to work in the morning can be a tedious and annoying affair. At least, we imagine it is, since we are chained to the wall of a basement staring at a computer screen for 23.5 hours per day. One vehicle that can make any commute quicker is a motorcycle… perhaps even a stupid-fast literbike like the Yamaha R1.

Combine a rider with a need for death speed, a 25-mile commute through Russian traffic and a powerful two-wheeled samurai sword, and you get a video showing the “quick” way to work. Sometimes this two-wheeler even becomes a one-wheeler as rare empty stretches of road disappear when the nose goes skyward.

According to our tipster Andy (Thanks!), the title translates to “A couple minutes of my life could be more interesting than the whole life of the other people.” It’s certainly interesting, but we prefer pushing vehicles to our limit on a track. Regardless, the music choice is excellent and the riding would make Trinity jealous. We don’t condone this type of action, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all check out the video, which you can watch after the jump.

I could name a few people who could do some of the same stuff.  However, maybe not in this kind of traffic.

YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Harley-Davidson Sidecars: A Thing of The Past

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Sep 212010
 
Written by Taryn Kukucka
Thursday, 05 August 2010 08:49
With the new plans to increase sales, Harley-Davidson will eliminate the production and sales of sidecars. I know you’re all very disappointed since sidecars are such a hot addition to your motorcycle, but there just isn’t a demand in the market for them anymore.Harley first released the sidecar to customers back in 1914 as a solution to transporting belongings without having to sacrifice riding your motorcycle. It’s also a spot for another passenger to ride in or even a dog if you really need to. But I’m sure everyone would agree that sidecars aren’t that great of an addition to a Harley, which is probably why you rarely see em attached to many bikes. Financially, this is a great move on the manufacturer’s part to cut costs where money isn’t generating.It seems as though Harley really is taking their new marketing plan seriously, and hoping to bring a new wave of motorcycle buyers.

Tribute to a Police Officer

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Sep 142010
 

Well, Mr. Citizen, it seems you’ve figured me out. I seem to fit neatly into the category where you’ve placed me. I’m stereotyped, standardized, characterized, classified, grouped, and always typical. Unfortunately, the reverse is true. I can never figure you out.

From birth you teach your children that I’m the bogeyman, then you’re shocked when they identify with my traditional enemy…the criminal!

You accuse me of coddling criminals…until I catch your kids doing wrong.

You may take an hour for lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer for having one cup.

You pride yourself on your manners, but think nothing of disrupting my meals with your troubles.

You raise hell with the guy who cuts you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and I’m picking on you.

You know all the traffic laws…but you’ve never gotten a single ticket you deserve.

You shout “foul” if you observe me driving fast to a call, but raise the roof if I take more than ten seconds to respond to your complaint.

You call it part of my job if someone strikes me, but call it Police brutality if I strike back.

You wouldn’t think of telling your dentist how to pull a tooth or your doctor how to take out an appendix, yet you are always willing to give me pointers on the law.

You talk to me in a manner that would get you a bloody nose from anyone else, but expect me to take it without batting an eye.

You yell something’s got to be done to fight crime, but you can’t be bothered to get involved.

You have no use for me at all, but of course it’s OK if I change a flat for your wife, deliver your child in the back of the Patrol car, or perhaps save your son’s life with mouth to mouth breathing, or work many hours overtime looking for your lost Daughter.

So, Mr. Citizen, you can stand there on your soapbox and rant and rave about the way I do my work, calling me every name in the book, but never stop to think that your property, family, or maybe even your life depends on me or one of my buddies.

Yes, Mr. Citizen, it’s me…the lousy cop!

The author of this article was Trooper Mitchell Brown of the Virginia State Police. He was killed in the line of duty two months after writing the article. As a salute to the millions of men and women police officers who put their lives on the line for us everyday, please pass this on.

Work Until the (paper) Work is Done

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Sep 122010
 

The book is always better than the movie, so when you write your use-of force report, put the reader in your shoes and make them feel the fear you experienced.

The recent police shooting in Benton Ridge, Ohio clearly demonstrates that an unarmed suspect’s words and actions can create a situation which would lead reasonable officers to believe that their lives are in imminent danger. In this situation, more than one officer perceived the danger and dramatically backed away from the van. Then, more than one officer fired as the enraged suspect burst violently out of the window of the vehicle. But that video, as compelling as it is, is woefully inadequate as a true record of events. For that, we must turn to the reports from the officers involved. That’s why this event is a stark reminder for all officers that in a use-of-force incident, the report you write is critical to the post-incident events that inevitably follow.

Dynamic Story Telling
Officers involved in any use-of-force situation must freeze frame the moment. In their report, they must articulate every bit of information given to them leading up to the decision to use force. They must also document every statement, threatening gesture, and overt act that created the perception of danger which led them to the decision to fire.
After the fact the suspect may lie and the attorney will likely spread the lie. The media will then report the lie (and probably speculate and edit the tape to shape their story). Defense experts will make good money explaining how they would have done things differently. All of these people will be able to replay the tape over and over again in slow motion before coming to a conclusion in a situation that played out in mere seconds before your eyes.

There are so many cases in which suspects’ threatening words and movements lead officers to believe they are facing an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm. Suspects arm themselves with cell phones and other fake weapons and at times make movements feigning attack. That first report where you freeze a critical moment in time will help you accurately frame the desperate events. It should put the reader in the shoes of the officer involved.

For example, the suspect bent on “suicide by cop,” wants to be shot, so they aggressively do what they have to do to get their wish. A suspect may point a firearm at an officer and say, “You are going to die tonight!” and the reasonable officer will stop the perceived threat by shooting until the suspect no longer presents a threat. The discovery later that the gun was not loaded (or was even a toy) can never alter the officer’s perception at the moment the decision was made to shoot the suspect.

Put the Reader in Your Shoes
Officers who use force on a suspect should take the time to paint a vivid picture and put the reader in the officer’s shoes. Articulate your fears of your own impending death or great bodily harm that would lead anyone reading the report to come to the same conclusion as you did. Officers are hesitant to admit that they experienced fear, but this is the appropriate time to admit to the world in writing, “Because of … I was afraid for my life and my partner’s life.”

The book is always better than the movie. Grainy video images of cannot accurately capture the fear an officer in survival mode will experience. The viewer can not feel the painful tearing of cartilage as the officer scrambles to avoid an assault. They can’t see the protruding arteries in the suspect’s neck or smell the rank odor of intoxicants on his breath. The video will not show the spray of saliva into the officer’s face as it is flung out of a suspect’s mouth when he screams, “I’m going to kill you cop!” A vivid, truthful, and realistic description of what is transpiring can tell so much more than the partial digital recording of an incident shot from a bad angle, in poor focus, and in low-light conditions.

The dynamics of a shooting are such that certain specifics may come back to you at a later time. This is a natural phenomenon, so when that happens complete a supplemental report to outline the missing critical details you may recall later.

In the inevitable legal follow-up to these events, you have an advantage over the suspects, the attorney, the defense experts, and the media. You have the truth in your pocket.

Winston Churchill once said, “The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end there it is…” in your report.

About the author

Dan Marcou retired as a highly decorated police lieutenant and SWAT Commander with 33 years of full time law enforcement experience. He is a nationally recognized police trainer in many police disciplines and is a Master Trainer in the State of Wisconsin. He has authored three novels The Calling: The Making of a Veteran Cop , S.W.A.T. Blue Knights in Black Armor, and Nobody’s Heroes are all available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. Visit his website and contact Dan Marcou

You’re Not A Cop Until You Taste Them

 News, Police  1 Response »
Sep 112010
 

The department was all astir, there was a lot of laughing and joking due to all the new officers, myself included, hitting the streets today for the first time.

After months of seemingly endless amounts of classes, paperwork, and lectures we were finally done with the Police Academy and ready to join the ranks of our department.

All you could see were rows of cadets with huge smiles and polished badges. As we sat in the briefing room, we could barely sit still

anxiously awaiting our turn to be introduced and given our beat assignment or, for the lay person, our own portion of the city to “serve and protect.”

It was then that he walked in. A statue of a man – 6 foot 3 and 230 pounds of solid muscle, he had black hair with highlights of gray and steely eyes that make you feel nervous even when he wasn’t looking at you.

He had a reputation for being the biggest and the smartest officer to ever work our fair city. He had been on the department for longer than anyone could remember and those years of service had made him into somewhat of a legend.

The new guys, or “rookies” as he called us, both respected and feared him.

When he spoke even, the most seasoned officers paid attention. It was almost a privilege when one the rookies got to be around when he would tell one of his police stories about the old days.

But we knew our place and never interrupted for fear of being shooed away. He was respected and revered by all who knew him.

After my first year on the department I still had never heard or saw him speak to any of the rookies for any length of time.

When he did speak to them all he would say was, “So, you want to be a policeman do you hero? I’ll tell you what, when you can tell me what they taste like, then you can call yourself a real policeman.”

This particular phrase I had heard dozens of times. Me and my buddies all had bets about “what they taste like” actually referred to.

Some believed it referred to the taste of your own blood after a hard fight. Others thought it referred to the taste of sweat after a long day’s work.

Being on the department for a year, I thought I knew just about everyone and everything. So one afternoon, I mustered up the courage and walked up to him.

When he looked down at me, I said “You know, I think I’ve paid my dues. I’ve been in plenty of fights, made dozens of arrests, and

sweated my butt off just like everyone else. So what does that little saying of yours mean anyway?”

With that, he merely stated, “Well, seeing as how you’ve said and done it all, you tell me what it means, hero.”

When I had no answer, he shook his head and snickered, “rookies,” and walked away.

The next evening was to be the worst one to date. The night started out slow, but as the evening wore on, the calls became more frequent and dangerous.

I made several small arrests and then had a real knock down drag out fight. However, I was able to make the arrest without hurting the

suspect or myself. After that, I was looking forward to just letting the shift wind down and getting home to my wife and daughter.

I had just glanced at my watch and it was 11:55, five more minutes and I would be on my way to the house. I don’t know if it was fatigue or just my imagination, but as I drove down one of the streets on my beat, I thought I saw my daughter standing on someone else’s porch. I looked again but it was not my daughter as I had first thought but merely a small child about her age. She was probably only six or seven years old and dressed in an oversized shirt that hung to her feet. She was clutching an old rag doll in her arms that looked older than me.

I immediately stopped my patrol car to see what she was doing outside her house at such an hour by herself. When I approached, there seemed to be a sigh of relief on her face. I had to laugh to myself, thinking she sees the hero policeman come to save the day.

I knelt at her side and asked what she was doing outside.

She said “My mommy and daddy just had a really big fight and now mommy won’t wake up.”

My mind was reeling. Now what do I do? I instantly called for backup and ran to the nearest window.

As I looked inside I saw a man standing over a lady with his hands covered in blood, her blood.

I kicked open the door, pushed the man aside and checked for a pulse, but unable to find one. I immediately cuffed the man and began doing C.P.R. on the lady.

It was then I heard a small voice from behind me, “Mr Policeman, please make my mommy wake up.” I continued to perform C.P.R. until my backup and medics arrived but they said it was too late. She was dead.

I then looked at the man. He said, “I don’t know what happened. She was yelling at me to stop drinking and go get a job and I had

just had enough. I just shoved her so she would leave me alone and she fell and hit her head.”

As I walked the man out to the car in handcuffs, I again saw that little girl. In the five minutes that has passed, I went from hero to monster.

Not only was I unable to wake up her mommy, but now I was taking daddy away too.

Before I left the scene, I thought I would talk to the little girl. To say what, I don’t know. Maybe just to tell her I was sorry about

her mommy and daddy. But as I approached, she turned away and I knew it was useless and I would probably make it worse.

As I sat in the locker room at the station, I kept replaying the whole thing in my mind. Maybe if I would have been faster or done

something different, just maybe that little girl would still have her mother.

And even though it may sound selfish, I would still be the hero.

It was then that I felt a large hand on my shoulder. I heard that all too familiar question again, “Well, hero, what do they taste like?”

But before I could get mad or shout some sarcastic remark, I realized that all the pent up emotions had flooded the surface and there was a steady stream of tears cascading down my face.

It was at that moment that I realized what the answer to his question was.

Tears.

With that, he began to walk away, but he stopped. “You know, there was nothing you could have done differently,” he said.

“Sometimes you can do everything right and still the outcome is the same. You may not be the hero you once thought you were, but now you ARE a police officer.

Understanding Heat-Related Illness – Treatment

 News, Safety  No Responses »
Sep 092010
 

What Are the Treatments?

Heat cramps can usually be alleviated by escaping the heat, resting and drinking moderately salty beverages, and eating moderately salty foods. Gentle massage or firm pressure applied to cramping muscles can alleviate spasms. In severe cases, the victim may need intravenous fluids and salts. If your heat cramps do not go away, call your doctor for advice.

For Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke:

First, GET HELP. It is critical that emergency medical assistance be called as soon as possible. Then, if possible, get the victim to drink, but don’t force fluids if the person is confused or has passed out.

The primary treatment for heat exhaustion is replacement of lost fluids and salt. Victims should be moved to a cool environment, lie flat or with their feet raised slightly above head level, and sip a cool, slightly salty beverage — such as a salty sports drink, salted tomato juice, cool bouillon, or plain drinking water with salt added (one level teaspoon of salt per quart of water).

Heat stroke usually develops rapidly and can cause permanent brain damage or death if not treated promptly. Anyone with heat stroke needs emergency medical attention.

While help is on the way, move the victim into the shade; wrap the victim in cool, wet bedding or clothing; or remove the victim’s clothes and sponge his or her body with cool water until help arrives.

Ice packs can be placed on the groin, neck or underarms; or the victim can be fanned by hand or with an electric fan or a blow-dryer set on cold (do not use a blow-dryer that blows only hot air).

If possible, use a thermometer to monitor the person’s temperature, and stop cooling treatments if his or her temperature normalizes.

Once at the hospital, a person who has suffered heat stroke may be given intravenous drugs to control seizures or other complications, may receive additional intravenous fluids, and will likely be confined to bed rest and monitored for 24 hours to several days.

Understanding Heat-Related Illness – Symptoms

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Sep 082010
 

What Are the Symptoms?

Heat cramp symptoms include:
Severe, sometimes disabling, cramps that typically begin suddenly in the hands, calves or feet.
Hard, tense muscles.

Heat exhaustion symptoms include:
Fatigue
Nausea
Headaches
Excessive thirst
Muscle aches and cramps
Weakness
Confusion or anxiety
Drenching sweats, often accompanied by cold, clammy skin.
Slowed or weakened heartbeat.
Dizziness
Fainting
Agitation
Heat exhaustion requires immediate attention but is not usually life-threatening.

Heat stroke symptoms include:
Nausea and vomiting.
Headache.
Dizziness or vertigo.
Fatigue.
Hot, flushed, dry skin.
Rapid heart rate.
Decreased sweating.
Shortness of breath.
Decreased urination.
Blood in urine or stool.
Increased body temperature (104 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit).
Confusion, delirium or loss of consciousness.
Convulsions.

Heat stroke can occur suddenly, without any symptoms of heat exhaustion. If a person is experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, OBTAIN MEDICAL CARE IMMEDIATELY. Any delay could be fatal. You should seek emergency medical care for anyone who has been in the heat and who has the following symptoms:

Confusion, anxiety or loss of consciousness.
Very rapid or dramatically slowed heartbeat.
Rapid rise in body temperature that reaches 104 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit.
Either drenching sweats accompanied by cold, clammy skin (which may indicate heat exhaustion); or a marked decrease in sweating accompanied by hot, flushed, dry skin (which may indicate heat stroke).
Convulsions.
Any other heat-related symptom that is not alleviated by moving to a shady or air-conditioned area and administering fluids and salts.

Understanding Heat-Related Illness – Treatment

What Are the Treatments?

Heat cramps can usually be alleviated by escaping the heat, resting and drinking moderately salty beverages, and eating moderately salty foods. Gentle massage or firm pressure applied to cramping muscles can alleviate spasms. In severe cases, the victim may need intravenous fluids and salts. If your heat cramps do not go away, call your doctor for advice.

For Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke:

First, GET HELP. It is critical that emergency medical assistance be called as soon as possible. Then, if possible, get the victim to drink, but don’t force fluids if the person is confused or has passed out.

The primary treatment for heat exhaustion is replacement of lost fluids and salt. Victims should be moved to a cool environment, lie flat or with their feet raised slightly above head level, and sip a cool, slightly salty beverage — such as a salty sports drink, salted tomato juice, cool bouillon, or plain drinking water with salt added (one level teaspoon of salt per quart of water).

Heat stroke usually develops rapidly and can cause permanent brain damage or death if not treated promptly. Anyone with heat stroke needs emergency medical attention.

While help is on the way, move the victim into the shade; wrap the victim in cool, wet bedding or clothing; or remove the victim’s clothes and sponge his or her body with cool water until help arrives.

Ice packs can be placed on the groin, neck or underarms; or the victim can be fanned by hand or with an electric fan or a blow-dryer set on cold (do not use a blow-dryer that blows only hot air).

If possible, use a thermometer to monitor the person’s temperature, and stop cooling treatments if his or her temperature normalizes.

Once at the hospital, a person who has suffered heat stroke may be given intravenous drugs to control seizures or other complications, may receive additional intravenous fluids, and will likely be confined to bed rest and monitored for 24 hours to several days.

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