LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — For weeks we have seen heat and humidity leading to 'feels like' temperatures in the triple digits. While the heat affects everyone, it's been especially brutal for area firefighters using gear and strenuous activities to keep us safe.
Fox 4 Meteorologist Andrew Shipley spent the afternoon with the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District to get a small taste of what our local firefighters are dealing with. He donned the boots and the pants, put on the coat, and strapped on an air pack... then went for a walk.
“I've been walking around for about five minutes in full bunker gear,” said Shipley. “This is about 80 pounds worth of gear. And me just walking around for about five minutes, I am dripping sweat, it’s heavy, and I am tired.”
That five-minute walk was nothing in comparison to what firefighters experience each and every day.
“They are operating with all that gear on and it's not allowing their body to expel that heat,” said Division Chief Anthony Rocco. “So, their core temperatures build up.”
If that core temperature rises enough, a firefighter can experience heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Division Chief Rocco said to combat this, they are switching out firefighters more often than usual.
“We try to limit it to a task,” said Division Chief Rocco. “We give them a task and once they complete their task, they come out, and the chief on the scene will send them to rehab. And if that task or a different task has to be taken, if they are rehabbed enough, we can utilize them again, but we try not to.”
Division Chief Rocco said they give firefighters a minimum of 10 minutes to recover and cool down. During that time, they strip out of their gear to release the heat trapped inside and rehydrate. Then their vitals are taken before returning to work.
But with the heat, the department requires more manpower for almost every call
“Many times, in the summer, like this, with the extreme heat, it takes double the personal, because we're rotating them out so much,” said Division Chief Rocco. “It takes double the manpower to combat the same house fire as it would if we were in January or December.”
