What is a recommended first aid response for someone suffering from heat stress?

Cooling the victim with water or shade is the recommended first aid response for someone suffering from heat stress. This approach directly addresses the body's need to reduce its core temperature, which is critical in preventing further complications associated with heat stress, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

By providing shade, you're protecting the person from additional heat exposure, while applying water can help in several ways: it can promote evaporative cooling if the individual is in a shaded area, and if water is applied directly to their skin, it facilitates heat loss through conduction. This response is aligned with medical guidelines, which prioritize cooling as the first step in addressing heat-related illnesses.

Encouraging activity, such as running around, would only exacerbate the condition as it would raise the body temperature further. Providing caffeinated beverages like coffee could contribute to dehydration since caffeine is a diuretic. Lastly, having someone sit in a heated area is counterproductive, as it would increase the likelihood of worsening their situation instead of helping to cool them down.