Paterson NJ Fire Chief Declared A Mass Casualty Event At HS Graduation Monday; 150+ Heat-Related Illnesses

[hatrack]

More than 150 people fell ill with heat at an outdoor high school graduation ceremony in New Jersey on Monday – and the fire chief of the city of Paterson declared “a mass casualty incident” due to the overwhelming number of those who needed emergency treatment.

The incident happened as students from several local schools in the city gathered at Hinchliffe Stadium to hear their names read out as graduates. Paterson’s fire department said about 50 people were evaluated, and nine were sent to a local hospital from the stadium.

During a second ceremony at the stadium, about 100 people ended up needing treatment – and seven were hospitalized. The Paterson mayor, André Sayegh, declared a state of emergency due to the high heat and canceled all recreational activities “until further notice”.

Temperatures in the region have soared in recent days, registering in the upper 90s fahrenheit. But the humidity pushes heat indexes to 107F (42C). In all, 150 million people have been under heat alerts from Maine to eastern Texas.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/24/new-jersey-extreme-heat-mass-casualty-incident