Firefighters Look Out For Each Other During Brutal Heat

Brutally hot temperatures are impacting first responders trying to keep the community safe in this heat, especially firefighters.

The high temperatures, added with layers of protective gear, make the task even more dangerous. 

The heat index outside is nothing compared to what a firefighter feels inside their gear. Fully dressed in the bunker gear, the temperature can increase up 20 degrees.

Tyler Smith has been an Oklahoma City firefighter for four years. It's a job he has a passion for and he understands the physical demands can be extremely dangerous.

“Physical demands on your body all day long,” Smith said. 

Especially when responding to a fire during the hottest days of the year. Intense heat and humidity make heat exhaustion a major concern.

“We do our best to stay hydrated and physically fit. It’s very important to all of us. We can obviously do our job more effectively when we do that, especially in the heat,” Smith said. 

Keeping cool in a 100-degree heatwave is one thing, but that heat plus the heat of a 700-degree fire is another battle.

“There’s always going to be some that go down because no matter how fit you might be or prepared you might be as far as hydration, working in that kind of extreme temperatures if you're just a little ill or something, you can go down very easily,” said Oklahoma City fire Major David Shearer.  

On hot days, extra units respond to help share the burden to make sure not only fire victims, but their crews don't suffer from heat-related illnesses.

“Staying hydrated, drinking plenty of water really helps you to remain hydrated during the incident, because you’re not going to be able to consume water during the incident,” Shearer said.

“A lot of times we don’t get the option to sit down and take a break, so we got to stay hydrated and take care of yourself so that you can take care of the public,” Smith said.

Firefighters are paying close attention to each other, looking at performance levels, signs of fatigue, and any kind of heat stress.

So far this year, none of our firefighters have had to be treated for heat exhaustion.