Keep cool when the temperature spikes during the summer! Below are safety tips for homeowners, shareholders, and residents to review before or during a heatwave.
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How to Contact Einsidler Management, Inc.
Emergency Hotline (For Building, Home, or Community Emergencies Only)*: 1800.684.4055
Office (Non-Emergencies): 631.293.2997 / 718.233.1390
Online Contact Form
*Always call 911 first in the event of a life-threatening emergency*
Unsure Who to Contact in the Event of an Emergency?
See our Guide: Who to Contact In a Home or Building Emergency
When to Notify Management of Cooling Related Issue
If air-conditioning is not working in your home, unit, or common area and is the responsibility of the Cooperative or Condominium and not you, notify management. If your community has a superintendent, let them know as well. Additionally, management of any broken windows that could let heat into your home.
How to Stay Cool In Your Home and Community During a Heatwave
- Limit your outdoor exposure on days where there is a heat advisory, warning, or high temperatures. Additionally, avoid lingering in your car without any air-conditioning.
- Wear loose, light-colored clothing to stay cool.
- Limit strenuous outdoor activities to prevent heat-related injuries or illness.
- Crank up the fan in your home and open interior doors to allow air to circulate throughout your Condo, Co-op, or H.O.A. Get the most out of your home appliances with our Summer to-do list.
- Keep doors and windows closed when your home is cooler than it is outside. Hot air likes to travel where there is cooler air. Therefore, If the inside of your home is cooler than the exterior, opening doors and windows will fill your home with hot air rather than cooling it down. If you have to go outside, close the doors quickly.
- Close your blinds and/or curtains to keep home interiors cooler. Minimize your use of lights to reduce heat in your home. Try to avoid using your oven or stove top on hot days as they will also emit excess heat throughout your kitchen and home.
- Check on vulnerable neighbors in your community, as some residents, such as seniors, may be more at risk for heat-related illness.
- Keep your pets hydrated and cool as well! Make sure they have a water bowl, indoors and outdoors, and limit their outdoor exposure during heatwaves. For more pet heat safety visit ASPCA.
- Take a dip in your pool if you have one in your backyard or if your cooperative, condominium, or Homeowner’s Association has a pool. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen and limit sun exposure.
- Drink more water than you think you need when it is hot outside to prevent dehydration or heat-related illness.
- When a heat advisory, heat warning, or heat watch is in effect go to a public indoor location or cooling center with air-conditioning on extremely hot days if needed. For example, the library, the mall, the movies, etc. (note that some libraries may choose to close on extremely hot days, so be sure to call before you go).
Stay Informed In The Event of a Heatwave
- Be aware of heat-related illnesses and know when immediate attention is needed.
- Check for weather updates in the New York region from local weather sources.
- Review our emergency resource page for important New York State contact information and additional local resources.
- Make sure that you are aware of what is the owners’ responsibility vs. management’s responsibility by reading your governing documents before an emergency. This will eliminate some confusion or frustration if an urgent repair is needed because you will be aware of who to contact (a vendor or management).
Conclusion
There are many ways to stay cool in your home and community during a heatwave. Be sure to keep up with the weather forecast so that you can be prepared when or if the temperature spikes. Additionally, avoid waiting for a heatwave to alert management or an outside vendor of necessary repairs. Taking these measures to keep cool will alleviate stress and keep your household members safe during the summer and during extreme weather.
