Extreme heat risk in parts of Manatee County: How safety protocols protect you during peak danger hours

PARRISH, Fla. —
As extreme heat grips parts of Manatee County, including Parrish and Lakewood Ranch, students at Parrish Community High School are still heading to football practice, marching band rehearsals, and agriculture barn cleanups. But behind the scenes, officials are using five years of data to pinpoint exactly when the heat becomes most dangerous — and how to keep people safe.

WATCH: Extreme heat risk in parts of Manatee County: How safety protocols protect you during peak danger hours

The Most Dangerous Hour: 2 P.M.

At the Manatee County Public Safety Center, managers are tracking more than just temperatures. They're analyzing patterns in 911 calls to understand when heat-related emergencies spike.

"This is data that we've pulled across the county in various systems to try to find patterns and correlations related to why there's more 911 calls for heat-related incidents," said Tony Incarnato, a manager at Manatee County Public Safety.

The data reveals a clear pattern: 2 p.m. is the busiest hour for heat-related 911 calls, according to Incarnato. July and August see the highest volume of calls overall, with Saturdays being the busiest day of the week.

"Based on the past five years, these conditions show a high spike in heat-related incidences," Incarnato said. "So the PIO can do their messaging, EMS can craft that messaging, and we can make citizens aware."

Hyperlocal Data, Real-Time Tracking

What makes Manatee County's approach unique is that the data isn't generic — it's hyperlocal.

"We're not relying on a sensor in Tampa estimating what it would be like here in Manatee County," Incarnato explained. "We actually have our own data from our own systems, so it's localized."

The system pulls data from multiple sources, including the National Weather Service, NOAA, Thorgard lightning systems, weather stations, stream gauges, and even beach attendance platforms. Officials use artificial intelligence to find correlations across datasets that were previously siloed.

"We're able to now take the data that we've run analysis off of and incorporate AI to find correlations in data that before were siloed," Incarnato said.

He emphasized that AI doesn't make decisions — humans do. The technology simply helps leadership identify patterns faster than they could manually.

"This kind of just pulls everything together in a way that a human couldn't do — well, they could, but it would take a long time," Incarnato said.

Most of the data updates in real time, according to Incarnato, allowing officials to monitor conditions as they develop.

WFTS

Schools Follow Strict Heat Protocols

Across the county at Parrish Community High School, students were preparing for after-school activities despite the extreme heat warning. But Principal Daniel Bradshaw said safety protocols are firmly in place.

"We utilize a weather system that produces the wet bulb globe reading, which alerts our coaches and our athletic training staff to whether they can go outside or need to stay inside," Bradshaw said.

The WetBulb globe temperature (WBGT) reading takes into account not just temperature, but also humidity and wind. It's more accurate than a simple "feels like" temperature, according to Bradshaw.

"I looked earlier today and the prediction was for a feels-like temperature maybe over 100, but only the wet bulb globe reading of 89 because of 15-mile-an-hour winds that may be blowing in that area," Bradshaw explained.

The WBGT reading dictates the duration of practice, how often water breaks are required, and what equipment can be worn. For football, there are specific restrictions about helmets and shoulder pads depending on the heat index, Bradshaw said.

"That's going to be checked right before students go out for any practices to make sure they're safe," Bradshaw said. "And then throughout the practice, it's maintained by our athletic trainer and our coaching staff."

WFTS

Practice Adjustments and Indoor Backup Plans

School ends at 2:25 p.m. at Parrish Community High School — right around the time Manatee County's data shows heat-related 911 calls peak. Bradshaw said the football team planned to start practice at 3:30 p.m., but that could change based on live readings.

"Weather always dictates that," Bradshaw said. "There's always a plan to shift indoors if necessary."

That applies to marching band, JROTC programs, and agriculture students working outdoors with animals, according to Bradshaw.

"It's making sure everyone stays hydrated, follows those protocols and rules for the heat advisory, with safety being the priority," Bradshaw said.

He added that some teams, like cross country, practice in the morning to avoid the heat altogether. In past years, the football team has even held practices before school for the same reason.

"You just have to be ready to adapt and adjust as necessary," said Bradshaw, a former coach.

Hydration Is Key

Bradshaw's top advice for students? Hydrate all day long.

"You can't just drink water at practice," Bradshaw said. "You've got to make sure you're doing that throughout the day, eating a good lunch and doing all the right things just to protect their body and make sure that they're safe."

He also stressed the importance of students speaking up if they feel overheated.

"Most importantly, as soon as they are feeling any sort of heat effect, to let the coach know so that we can pull them out and make sure they stay safe, get them to the trainer, and make sure that we don't have an issue that hurts someone," Bradshaw said.

WFTS

District-Wide System

The weather monitoring system used at Parrish Community High School is available at all schools in the district, according to Bradshaw. It was funded through the athletic millage referendum passed by voters.

"This is one of those instances that is directly impacting student safety and helping our athletes and students be successful," Bradshaw said.

The school district's full heat advisory plan, including wet bulb temperature guidelines, can be found on their website.