Dr. Douglas Casa: Heat stroke care—Cool first, transport second

July 23, 2025

SciLine interviews experts and then makes the video and other resources rapidly available for TV newsrooms to use on air.

Journalists: Get Email Updates

What is Experts on Camera?

En español

Dr. Douglas Casa: Tratamiento de los golpes de calor: enfriar primero, transportar después

Vea todos nuestros recursos en español

Heat deaths are on the rise, and experts say one key change could save lives: cool first, transport second. That means cooling heat stroke victims immediately—before heading to the hospital. On July 23, 2025, SciLine interviewed Dr. Douglas Casa, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut.

TV bundle includes:

Soundbite (SOT)
VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)
Raw, full-length interview video & log with timecodes (upon request via form below)
Localizable data

These resources are free to use. No attribution to SciLine is required.

Soundbite (SOT) and pronouncer

Downloadable video of the soundbite

High definition (mp4, 1280x720)

Download

Click for VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)

ANCHOR
IN AN EMERGENCY… YOU CALL 9-1-1.
BUT EXPERTS SAY THE KEY TO BEATING HEAT STROKE HAPPENS BEFORE YOU EVEN PICK UP THE PHONE.

VO
DOCTOR DOUGLAS CASA… A KINESIOLOGY PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT… SAYS WHEN SOMEONE’S SUFFERING FROM HEAT STROKE… EVERY SECOND COUNTS.
BUT HE SAYS DON’T RUSH THEM TO THE HOSPITAL JUST YET.
INSTEAD… THE FIRST STEP IS TO COOL THEM DOWN IMMEDIATELY… PREFERABLY BY SUBMERGING THEM IN COLD WATER.
THIS LIFE-SAVING PROTOCOL IS KNOWN AS “COOL FIRST, TRANSPORT SECOND.”
AND HE SAYS IT’S CRUCIAL TO SAVING LIVES.

SOT
Duration: 0:39
Super: Dr. Douglas Casa – Professor of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut
“Most important thing to remember is that heat stroke that happens related to exertion, so an athletic, occupational, military space is 100% survivable. It has been 100% survival in over 3,000 cases we have tracked if the person’s body temperature gets under 104 within 30 minutes of the presentation of the condition. And that’s why the emergency action plan related to the cooling modality, the way you cool them, and then keeping the cooling going until you’re done, that’s what we need to see happen across the board if we want to make sure that we don’t have parents and colleagues dealing with the tragedy of someone dying from a heat stroke.”

VO
CASA SAYS IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A TUB… THE NEXT BEST OPTION IS TO USE COLD TOWELS TO HELP COOL SOMEONE DOWN.

Raw, full-length interview covers:

How rapid cooling—especially using ice or cold-water immersion—can be life-saving and prevent long-term harm;
Why skipping on-site cooling to rush to the hospital can lead to worse outcomes for heat stroke patients;
Why “cool first, transport second” is now the recommended approach for athletes, warfighters, and laborers;
Why increasing public awareness and training first responders in cold-water immersion techniques is essential; and
What policies and protocols are needed to make this life-saving approach standard for athletes, warfighters, and laborers.