KU ready for extreme heat as students prepare for sweaty move-in

LAWRENCE, Kan. — KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee's Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.

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Colleges and universities across Kansas and Missouri are ready for students, but is everyone ready for the searing heat as students move in?

Conor Sexton, president of Beta Theta Pi, said his fraternity house is ready to welcome students back.

"We have 94 current members of our house, so it takes a lot of planning to make sure that move-in goes smoothly," Sexton said.

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Sexton said the heat is a factor this year, and fraternity members are adjusting their schedules accordingly.

"I'd say it's more humid this year," Sexton said. "So this year we're just trying to make things as easy as possible and we're also trying to get moving done pretty early so we kind of avoid the harder times of heat that are later in the afternoon."

He acknowledged the physical toll of moving during the extreme heat.

"It takes a lot of time, and when you're sweating a ton, it definitely makes it harder," Sexton said.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical said it plans months in advance for events like university move-in season. Division Chief John Darling said that preparation helps limit heat-related emergencies.

"We actually tend to not see a huge uptick in heat stress because of the work that we do ahead of time," Darling said.

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Darling said planning for the next season often begins before the current one ends.

"As an example, just today, I got an email from our Douglas County Emergency Management," Darling said. "We're starting the process of work shopping for cold weather emergencies."

Darling also said the World Cup increased heat safety education efforts this year.

The focus was on visitors unfamiliar with Midwestern summer conditions.

"People who have not have been used to Midwestern heat and humidity," he said. "We wanted to make sure that there was a lot more awareness even than we normally have."

Upperclassmen at KU also offered advice for students moving in for the first time.

"At some point, you've just got to make sure all your stuff is in the space," said Ryland Martin, a junior at KU. "Don't worry so much about getting it all set up as soon as you get there. Once it's all in, then you can kind of take your time with it."

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Another student emphasized the importance of building a support system.

"It's important to find people just like how we became friends and have those people that you can lean on in your time of need, especially in moving," Michael Bell, a KU senior, said.

Chief Darling said they're even more equipped to handle heat-related emergencies after adding an ambulance to their fleet.

"It allows us to be able to respond to situations like moving day heat, high heat index," said Darling.

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