Customs and Border Protection's Tucson Sector will have agents carry a new heat stress kit, to determine whether the effort will be expanded to all sectors across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Danyelle Khmara Border officials are launching a mitigation effort to reduce heat-related injuries and deaths of migrants crossing the desert.
“Heat exhaustion and heatstroke in the desert are highly probable,” he said. “For a migrant wandering our remote mountains and valleys, potentially abandoned, exposed to the sun, running out of water, they are a certainty.” The heat stress kits contain a water-activated cooling towel, cold packs, sunscreen, electrolytes, waterproof tape and a Mylar emergency blanket.
CBP is also launching a feasibility study to enhance its workforce's heat-stress awareness and to provide insights into how to best scale up use of the kits across all sectors. Asked why the deaths are increasing, agents said it’s because the number of people crossing is increasing. The sector is also deploying more rescue placards where they are needed most based on analysis of cell phone connectivity, 911 calls, rescue incidents and deaths. The placards are little metal plaques with a number to identify where someone is, which is a quicker way for agents to reach someone than trying to pull the location from cell phone tracking data.