PHOENIX — The familiar sound of sirens blaring at all hours, 365 days a year — even in the dog days of what has been an especially brutal summer.
"Our departments are dealing with all the heat emergencies and not being overcome with that themselves," explains Phoenix Fire Captain Kimberly Ragsdale.
Captain Ragsdale says that means making sure her crews are rested and hydrated, and any training or other activities get pushed to cooler parts of the day.
But just like we can't control Mother Nature, emergencies are also just as unpredictable -- just like that massive propane fire in Phoenix late last month when high temperatures reached 119º.
"What we have in place is a system of 'rehab and recycle' where any crew working inside can be working from 15 to 30 minutes and they get their vital signs checked, they get to rest and rehydrate, and either go back into work or another crew will replace them," says Captain Ragsdale.
And if you think the heat is bad for all of us, think about what it's like for first responders underneath all that equipment they have to wear. On the conservative end, all that gear can be at least another 45 pounds, so imagine just how hot it can get with all that extra weight.
"All I can tell you is that when we take off the turnouts, we are soaked. Our body is soaked. It's three layers - you are going in wearing what feels like a very heavy winter jacket."
But that equipment does save lives and protects firefighters from getting hurt.
Still, in 2021, nearly 61,000 firefighters were injured in the line of duty, according to a National Fire Protection Association survey.
The biggest thing all of us can do to help prevent these workplace injuries for fire crews is to make sure we listen to warnings by not putting ourselves at risk. In doing so, we're keeping first responders out of harm's way, too.
"We ask the public to take notice and heed the warnings we are putting out as far as hiking safety, seeking shelter, staying in the shade, staying hydrated. It's serious. You might feel like, 'I can go hiking this morning,' but we are asking people to take notice because it can really sneak up on people."
