‘The heat is no different:’ How local firefighters are keeping cool amid current heat wave

SALISBURY, Md.- “We still have to respond and do our jobs. It’s something that you have to deal with and be prepared for. The heat is no different,” Foraker said.

John Foraker with the Salisbury Fire Department says the warmer weather we’re experiencing on Delmarva makes the average workday for him a challenge.

He says his key to survival to brave the blazes and heat is staying prepared. “Definitely have an extra change of clothes on hand, especially with running calls and putting your gear on. That just makes it that much hotter,” Foraker said.

Assistant EMS Chief Chris Truitt says the average person should aim to drink about 90 ounces of water a day, but these first responders can sweat that out in just an hour. “80 degrees doesn’t sound like much, but once you put on all that gear and you’re inside a fire it’s a lot of work,” Truitt said.

Their gear can add anywhere between 50-75 pounds of additional weight on those first responders which makes staying hydrated crucial. “It’s designed to let you breathe some but not a lot. You’re trapping in a lot of heat around your body to keep all those carcinogens away but its trapping all your sweat and everything in with you as well,” Truitt said.

According to the CDC, the leading cause of firefighter deaths in the line of duty is sudden cardiac events.

To prevent that, in temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, Truitt tells 47ABC their rehabilitation policy is kicked into high gear. “We’re going to check their temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate, things of that nature. If someone did get dehydrated at that point, we could start IV fluids to get them cooled off that way or even transport them to the hospital if we need to,” Truitt said.

Truitt tells me they also have protocol in place to have personnel to hydrate as early as the night before their shift to increase safety measures.

Salisbury Fire Department says once you get dehydrated it can take about 16 ounces of water every 15 minutes for some to get rehydrated.

The department says with these warmer conditions they also add an extra ambulance to help with their rehabilitation efforts.