With our first potential heat wave of the summer season, the Montclair Health Department (MHD) urges residents to take steps to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

When the weather turns extremely hot and humid, it’s vital to drink plenty of fluids, spend time in cool places and reduce or reschedule any physical activity. Please remember to check on elderly family members and neighbors to make sure they are safe.

To avoid health complications from excessive heat:

The Township of Montclair is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to help protect the health of our community; these residents will become part of the Greater Montclair Public Health Reserve Corps (GMPHRC).

The Public Health Reserve Corps or PHRC unit is  community-based and functions as a way to locally organize and utilize volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to respond to public health emergencies. PHRC volunteers supplement existing emergency and public health resources. We recognize that in the event of a public health emergency, people are our most valuable resource. While our plans and infrastructure are in place for an emergency, trained volunteers will be needed to supplement the existing public health workforce. Therefore, The Nutley Health Department is joining federal and state efforts to recruit and train volunteers from our surrounding communities.

Montclair Township launched its new web-based Emergency Alert System (EAS) which sends notifications to subscribers in the event of an emergency. Alerts will be sent to subscribers’ e-mail addresses and/or cell phones as text messages.

Residents can register for the new service on the township web site by clicking on the “sign up now” Emergency Alert System icon on the upper right-hand side of the home page.

In light of the recent news stories that have appeared regarding MRSA infection, the Montclair Health Department would like to provide you with the following accurate information.

MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It is a species of bacteria commonly found on the skin and/or in the noses of healthy people. MRSA is often contracted by skin-to-skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces that have been touched by someone with the infection. Though MRSA is resistant to treatment with certain antibiotics therefore making it more difficult to treat, there are other antibiotics that are still able to kill the MRSA bacteria.