TempoLife › First aid guides › heat-stroke
Heat stroke
A life-threatening overheating emergency.
In an emergency, call your emergency number first — 112 across the EU. This is general information, not a substitute for hands-on first-aid training or professional medical care. If you are unsure, call for help and follow the dispatcher's instructions.
When to use this
Suspect it when someone is very hot with confusion, a pounding heart, headache, or has collapsed in the heat.
Step by step
- Call 112 immediately — heat stroke is a medical emergency.
- Move the person to a cool, shaded or air-conditioned place.
- Cool them quickly: remove excess clothing, wet the skin and fan it, and put cold packs on the neck, armpits and groin. If possible, immerse them in cool water.
- If they are fully awake and able to swallow, give small sips of water.
- Monitor them closely and be ready to start CPR if they stop breathing normally.
What not to do
- Do not give fluids to someone who is confused or drowsy.
- Do not assume they will recover on their own — keep cooling until help arrives.
Emergency numbers
112 reaches emergency services across the European Union and much of the world, often even without a SIM or signal from your own network. Some countries keep additional local numbers.
| Where you are | Emergency number |
|---|---|
| European Union & EEA (incl. Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania) | 112 |
| United Kingdom | 999 (112 also works) |
| United States & Canada | 911 |
| Australia | 000 |
| New Zealand | 111 |
Other first-aid guides
Adult CPR
What to do when an adult is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
Choking (adult)
Clearing a blocked airway in a responsive adult.
Severe bleeding
Controlling heavy bleeding while help is on the way.
Burns and scalds
First aid for heat burns and scalds.
Hypothermia
Warming someone who has become dangerously cold.
Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
A rapid, life-threatening allergic reaction.
Source: Steps paraphrase widely-accepted guidance from bodies such as the European Resuscitation Council and national Red Cross societies. General information, not a substitute for training. · checked 2026-09-04
Frequently asked questions
When should I use this?
Suspect it when someone is very hot with confusion, a pounding heart, headache, or has collapsed in the heat.
When must I call emergency services?
As early as you safely can. Across the EU that is 112. For anyone unresponsive and not breathing normally, call first (or have someone call) and start CPR straight away.
Prepared, and healthy
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