Heat Wave Taking A Toll On Firefighters

Wednesday, August 15th 2007, 9:00 pm

By: News On 6

Oklahomans cannot get any relief from the heat. Highs in Green Country once again reached triple digits Wednesday, and the scorching weather is taking a toll on firefighters. The News On 6â€™s Chris Wright reports you won't hear the firefighters at Station #4 complain, but as the heat wave drags on they admit they are looking forward to fall.

Wednesday afternoon, during the hottest part of the day, Station #4 responded to a possible water rescue call, someone had spotted some kids in the river. It turned out to be a false alarm, but the men say even routine calls like this have become taxing.

"Everything's more tedious,â€ said Tulsa Fire Department Captain Jerry Gibbons. â€œWhen you get 30 minutes to an hour into a run is when you really start getting concerned."

To address those concerns the firefighters bring a misting fan, as well as plenty of water with them when they head out. They also stay hydrated during breaks.

"We make sure we're drinking cold water or Gatorade or something like that instead of pop on days like this before an incident," Gibbons said.

Those precautions have come in handy during the heat wave. Firefighters already had to handle a series of apartment fires last week.

"Come out to cool off and it's 111, high heat index, high humidity. It makes rehabilitating those firefighters much more difficult," said Tulsa Fire Department Captain Larry Bowles.

Also making the job more difficult is all their gear. Firefighters can take all those extra precautions, they can stay hydrated, they can rotate more often, but one thing they really can't avoid is all the heavy equipment, usually 100 pounds or so, which is the same in extreme heat and extreme cold. And while firefighters will continue to do their job, they, like the rest of us, can't wait for a break from this heat.

"Anytime we can bring more moderate temperatures back into the picture, it would certainly help us. Then we prepare for winter," Bowles said.

We did ask the firefighters which conditions they would rather work in, 100 degrees or this winter's ice storm. They said it was a tough choice, but if they had to choose, they would pick the ice storm.

For more on extreme weather and how it affects your health, click here.

For more on extreme weather and how it affects your health, click here.

Watch the video: Heat Waves Forces Firefighters To Battle More Than Fires