What is the recommended action for someone experiencing a heat emergency?

Applying cool packs to key areas of the body is the recommended action for someone experiencing a heat emergency because it directly helps to lower the body temperature. In cases of heat emergencies, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, the body has become overheated due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures, physical exertion, or dehydration. Cooling the body is essential to prevent serious complications or even death.

Using cool packs on areas like the neck, armpits, and groin is effective because these areas contain large blood vessels close to the skin’s surface. Cooling these areas can rapidly reduce the core body temperature. Additionally, moving the individual to a cooler environment and ensuring they stay hydrated are critical steps, but the immediate action of applying cool packs addresses the immediate danger of overheating.

Other choices, such as leaving the person in the sun, using heat packs, or encouraging physical activity, would exacerbate the situation instead of providing relief from the heat emergency.