An Arizona homeowner released a home security video of a UPS driver collapsing in front of his door in scorching heat the state has been experiencing for more than a month.
The homeowner, Brian Enriquez of Scottsdale, captured the incident on video via his Ring doorbell on Thursday – when the high there reached 110 degrees.
In the video, the driver slowly walks to the front door then bends down to put down a package. At that point, the driver falls over and lands in a sitting position, where he sits for a short period before laying down on the porch.
He then gets up, rings the doorbell and staggers away.
Enriquez told NBC affiliate KPNX he was at work when the doorbell rang and did not see the video until the driver had left his home.
“I was concerned for the fact that he was coming, stumbling to the door,” Enriquez told the outlet. “Had I gotten to my phone sooner, I could have talked to him through my Ring, but he had already left the property at that point.”
He said called police and alerted UPS to report what happened.
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In a statement released to USA TODAY on Wednesday morning UPS reported their employee is fine.
“We appreciate the concern for our employee,” the statement reads. “UPS drivers are trained to work outdoors and for the effects of hot weather. Our employee used his training to be aware of his situation and contacted his manager, who immediately provided assistance. We never want our employees to continue working to the point that they risk their health or work in an unsafe manner.”
UPS said it trains its employees to stay hydrated, eat well and get proper sleep before work – especially when working in hotter temperatures.
“We have morning meetings with drivers all year round, reminding them of forecast temperatures and encouraging them to be aware of their own health conditions. In the summer, in addition to providing water and ice for employees, we provide regular heat illness and injury prevention training to all operations managers and drivers.”
Excessive heat warnings in US
This week, forecasters put nearly 100 million Americans under excessive heat warnings or advisories.
The National Weather Service is reporting “dangerous heat” will impact a large swath of the country this week, including states ranging from Texas and Louisiana to Kansas and Missouri.
A number of states were also placed under a heat advisory with most areas forecast to reach at least the high 90s and other areas, including Phantom Ranch, Ariz., on track to reach 114 degrees this week.
Amarillo, Texas, is similarly expected to reach a high of 113 degrees and Shreveport, Louisiana, could hit 108 degrees.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
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