Emergency Work Goes On Even in the Heat

When temperatures flirt with 100 degrees, many people stay inside in air conditioning as much as possible. But that's not the case for everyone, especially when their jobs require them to be outdoors.

Such is the case for firefighters and police officers, including on Tuesday when temperatures were reaching 105 degrees in some parts of the state. On Tuesday, firefighters worked to free an injured man from a truck after it crashed into another truck and rolled over on Parsonage Hill Road.

In response to the crash, the department recalled a platoon because they knew it would be an involved rescue that also required the injured man to be airlifted to the hospital, said Battalion Chief Ed Wade, department public information officer. It wasn't just because they needed the manpower at the scene to assist with the rescue, it also was to provide firefighters with downtime to recover when they returned to the firehouse.

It's not unusual for fire departments to call for extra manpower on significantly hot days. A fire may be called a second alarm even if it's not on a hot day because of the need to rest firefighters. "We know they won't last as long in the heat," Wade said. "As officers, we have to think ahead and decide if we may need additional resources."

While firefighters can wear golf shirts and shorts when they are at the firehouse working on routine chores, they still need to wear their bunker coats and pants when working at a scene whether it's a car crash or a fire.

"It's like wearing a snow suit on the hottest day of the year," Wade said of the safety gear. Firefighters are told when they are resting at a scene to remove their gear because it'll give the body a chance to breath. And firefighters are told not to put on their gear unless they need to.

Firefighters are told to keep hydrated and drink water all the time, Wade said. "We tell them not to wait until they need to exert themselves and get thirsty," he said. "They need to drink constantly."

Police officers don't have the equipment requirements of firefighters, but they may need to be on details throughout town even in the heat. Capt. James Miller, police public information officer, said road construction may still happen in the heat, and it means police need to be there. The watch commander will take into account the heat and rotate out officers at the construction sites to keep people fresh.