Town of Bellingham Prepared to Assist During Extreme Heat
At the Bellingham Fire Department headquarters: Chief William Miller. “We want to be out there, here for town residents,” says the Chief.
By David Dunbar
Bellingham Town Health Agent Dylan Labonte receives weather updates from the state every week, more often when needed. During extreme heat, he urges residents to call 911 if they’re not feeling well.
When the temperatures rise, it’s uncomfortable for most people. But for the 2,000 older residents who live in Bellingham, it can be dangerous.
Summers are getting warmer and with it can come heat cramps, edema, exhaustion and heat stroke especially for those over 65 years of age.
“Seniors may be the most vulnerable,” explains Fire Chief William Miller, but also at risk are children playing outdoor sports and adults who work outside in the heat. Other vulnerable populations include people with chronic medical conditions, pregnant individuals, the homeless, and people without access to air conditioning.”
Globally, Swiss Re Group’s 2025 SONAR Report showed extreme heat claimed 500,000 lives last year. More than hurricanes, tornadoes, severe rainstorms, blizzards or floods. One study published in the August 2024 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) identified 311 deaths in the U.S. due to extreme heat in 2004; in 2023, the number of deaths had risen to 2,325.
“We need to be prepared,” says Chief Miller. And during the heat, he suggests limiting exposure to the sun by staying indoors, drink more water than normal, turn on your home air conditioning (if you have it), take cool showers and baths.
“Consider visiting one of our cooling stations… the Senior Center or the library” he suggests. “And watch out for your neighbors, especially the elderly. Do some door knocking,” he adds with a smile.
Josie Dutil, Bellingham Senior Center executive director, says, “In the past, the Center has stayed open until 8 p.m. for anyone who may need to escape the heat. We open at 8:30 a.m., and our building is a good place to cool down.” The library, during high heat, will be open from 9:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.
“Our mission,” explains Dylan Labonte, the Bellingham’s Health Agent, “is to get the word out. We try to make citizens aware of the services that are available to them and the kind of weather that’s coming.”
Labonte gets weather forecasts from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and shares them on the town’s website under the Health Department tab. The town also alerts residents through the use of Facebook, Instagram, other social media and a combination of text, phone, and email. Labonte adds, “Watch the weather on TV.”
He has a message for kids. “You think you’re invincible, but you’re not. You need to hydrate and stay out of the sun until the heat emergency is over.” And a message for sports coaches: “Let the players take more frequent water breaks. Try to play in the shade. And consider cancelling a game and re-schedule it when the weather cools down.”
If you have a weather-related concern or question, you can contact Labonte at (508) 657-2860. You might also visit www.mass.gov/info-details/extreme-heat-resources for additional information.
“The old line about, ‘if you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a minute’ has some truth to it,” says Chief Miller. He says it’s almost like there’s a weather bubble around Bellingham where the north part of town gets one kind of weather, and the south gets a different kind. Or a forecast storm misses the town completely.
Be on the alert this summer for really hot weather. July is usually the hottest month of the year, followed by August. According to The Weather Channel and Yale Climate Connections, “2025 is shaping up to be the second hottest year on earth.”
