As this year’s heat wave wears on, St. Louis city officials are stepping up their efforts to keep the death toll among the area’s homeless population from rising.
Department of Human Services Director Bill Siedhoff says people living on the streets can be at greater risk for heat-related illness and death.
"Some of our own Department of Human Services staff – including myself by the way – have been out after hours," Siedhoff said. "I was out over the weekend just checking on people to see what their condition is and, again, encouraging them to take advantage of cooling centers to get them into an air-conditioned space.”
Staff from the St. Patrick Center have also been handing out water in places where homeless people are known to stay and telling them to visit cooling sites, like The Bridge center located at Centenary Methodist Church on Olive Street.
Three homeless persons have died in the area due to the extreme high temperatures.
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