LONGVIEW — Braving fires up to 700-degrees can be quite the task, especially during hot summer days like Friday. But for firemen, it's just another hot day on the job.
Fire crews across East Texas have braved record-breaking temperatures this week, on top of the extreme heat that meets them on a fire call.
"We have had firefighters get sick on scene, sometimes have to go to the hospital because of heat exhaustion or heat-related illnesses," says Longview Fire Marshall Kevin May.
The key: hydration before dehydration.
"That's going to be one of the keys to even function on the fire grounds. The more water you drink prior to, then your body gets hydrated, so it doesn't get exhausted as early while you're fighting fires."
When firefighters are out on their job, they wear up to 40 lbs. of gear, including an air pack that weighs nearly 20 lbs. The pack supplies anywhere between 35-45 minutes of air supply.
"The suit, itself, is a two-layer piece. They have an insulated layer on the inside. Obviously, our gear is made to protect us from the exterior heat element, but the downside of that is it also retains the body heat as well."
Being a firefighter is just one profession where enduring the heat comes with the job. But, putting out fires in extreme heat also requires an increase in manpower.
"When we have extreme temperatures, like we are right now, we'll usually end up seeing an additional two fire engines which would be an additional 6 people there, and possibly another ambulance to give another two,” says May. “And then they would have to rotate on the fire scene as well."
Longview fire crews have seen an increase in calls this week. May says that between the ambulance and fire teams, Fire Station 1 racked up a surprising 30 calls.
In addition to keeping his firemen safe and cool, May says they also try to encourage others to stay hydrated and pay attention to any signs of a heat-related illness.