Cooling Companies Working Around-The-Clock As Temps Scorch Inland Empire

NORCO (CBSLA.com) — This record-breaking heat seems to have everyone in a sweat.

Apparently no one is busier that the Southland's "superhero" — the A.C.-repair technician.

Southern California Edison had warned people in Norco they had to shut off the power for some maintenance work today.

But Patricia Pollard didn't think they would go through with it.

"Usually what they do is if it's going to be this hot, they just cancel it and reschedule it," she said.

Pollard said she can handle a few hours without electricity or air conditioning but she's worried about her 91-year-old mother who just came to stay with the family.

"She fell and I thought, she'll come out here," she said. "But now with the heat? I thought, 'What did I do?'"

Pollard's not the only one in the Inland Empire trying to figure out how to stay cool without A.C. Technicians with Total Comfort, Inc. say they've been getting dozens of calls from people who need immediate help with their cooling systems.

"The majority of them don't have it serviced," company spokesperson Randy Gutierrez said. "You're supposed to have it serviced once a year to make sure it's working properly. And not everyone does that, so now they're calling us to come help them."

Gutierrez says he's working as fast as he can because he knows it's just going to get hotter the next few days.

"I feel bad for the customer because they're elderly, some of them. They're sweaty, they're hot, it's unbearable," he said.

That's why Patricia says she won't stay in her hot house all day.

"We're making do with what we have," she said. "Ultimately we'll get out of here, go to lunch someplace nice and cool."