we've been dealing with excessive heat around the state for the last week and now new research by climate Central shows these high temps are creating Urban heat Islands in 65 major metropolitan areas including Newark the research shows Newark has an urban heat island index of 9° estimating how much hotter the city is due to its layout and environment throughout New Jersey cities and volunteers are working to help the most vulnerable populations during this heat wave in Patterson One hospital is putting boots on the ground supporting the elderly homeless and others senior correspondent Joanna gagas introduces us to operation ice waterer what happens if you don't hydrate people they become dehydrated and you just look online for the symptoms for dehydration they get big in a in a big hurry that's why Bob bro is out here delivering cold water to people in need around the city of Patterson he's an EMS worker for St Joseph's Health System and he's specifically targeting the most vulnerable like seniors the homeless and day workers who don't have shelter from this week's scorching Sun but he'll hand the water to anyone who asks thank you so far in just the last two weeks bro's handed out 4,000 bottles of water the program called operation Ice Water started last year his goal to prevent a hospital visit hospitals at 911 services become the catch-all for everything so if these folks become dehydrated they pass out they have medical problems somebody finds them laying on a sidewalk are here they call 911 they end up in the emergency room and that puts strain on the city's already stretched thin emergency response system but when the call comes into 911 dispatch centers it comes in as a person unconscious that's an automatic Critical Care dispatch you'll get uh police you'll get Fire EMS in the city of Patterson will roll and paramedics they'll roll an advanced life support unit for an unconscious person so to compare the cost of the 4,000 water bottles already handed out this summer is about $600 that's less than one 5th of an emergency room visit which in New Jersey averages about $3,400 last year during the Heat Wave and we started doing the the water distribution I was here almost every day and this was lined with people this is the exterior of a senior home that was a major concern last year but their education and prevention efforts seem to be working this year and it's been empty for the past 2 weeks this is wonderful um because that means they're inside where they're sheltered or someplace else where they have cooling capability they're not out here but he did find a few senior who'd made their way out just for a bit they said but we're grateful for the water come out for a few minutes get a little bit of fresh air then go back up can't stay out too long no not in the heat no we have a heat stroke out here they take care of us well they come out here I see them riding by but residents in Patterson and in cities around New Jersey are actually dealing with higher temperatures than the rest of the state there's no trees by my house they cut down the trees so we have no trees for the wind to blow so the sun is beaming on our heads so we have no nothing to stay cool from what Sarah gist is describing is called an urban heat zone urban areas with less vegetation and more human-built structures absorb more solar radiation on sunny days the rooftops the sides of the buildings the asphalt parking lots and Roads so with that you create a local environment with excessive Heat levels making this already vulnerable population that much more at risk but this handout a potential Lifesaver during this intense Heatwave in Patterson I'm Joanna gagas andj Spotlight news [Music]