Heat Wave Challenges East Coast Crews

As a record-breaking heat wave grips the East Coast, firefighters and emergency medical service providers at some agencies are taxed to the limit. Triple-digit highs were recorded from Charlotte, N.C. to New York this week, where members of FDNY's EMS crews were called upon at near record levels.

FDNY's EMS response recorded 4,225 calls on July 6 -- a 20 percent increase in call volume. It was the fifth-busiest day for EMS members since 2001, with only a few days recorded as more active, according to FDNY: the 2003 blackout and two New Years' Eve celebrations.

"Heat makes the call volume increase all the time," Assistant Chief of EMS John McFarland said in a prepared statement. "Heat definitely played a role here."

Of the July 6 call volume, McFarland reported 1,575 were life-threatening. To handle the recently increased demand, FDNY command added an extra 20 tours each day for EMS workers.

The heat wave has also made busy days for FDNY firefighters. On July 6 and 7, they responded to two five-alarm fires in Queens each requiring more than 200 members and 44 units. Firefighters were also busy at a three-alarm fire in Queens and two second-alarm fires in the Bronx.

On Wednesday night, 12 FDNY firefighters suffered injuries, mostly heat related, at one of the Queens fires. Two firefighters with heat exhaustion and one with burns to the neck were sent to hospitals for treatment.

Further up north in New Hampshire, the weather hasn't been much cooler, and firefighters in Manchester, the Granite State's largest city, have seen a spike in heat-related calls to 911.

The Manchester Fire Department averages 50 calls a day, and officials said that number is up 25 percent in the extreme heat and continues to rise the longer the heat wave lasts.

City fire officials said the firefighters themselves have all they can do to battle the heat themselves, being required to wear and carry more than 70 pounds of gear just to do their jobs.

"Pre-hydrate, hydrate and rehydrate -- that's the only thing you can do for it right now," Manchester Fire Department Lt. Andre Parent told the television station WMUR, also based in Manchester.

Firefighters in the New Hampshire town ofAuburn, which borders Manchester, were making sure people were hydrated. Within 20 minutes, they had passed out 50 bottles of water, according to WMUR.

The heat was also hitting coal country in Pennsylvania, where firefighters in Shamokin and Coal Township battled a wildfire as well as a vehicle fire that spread to a field.

According to an article published in The News-Item in Shamokin, firefighters battled the fires in triple-digit heat in the area of Big Mountain. Firefighters from six surrounding towns and the Department of Conservation of Natural Resources (DCNR) converged on the 7-acre fire.

Ben Straub, the firefighter in command, took several precautions to prevent heat-related injuries for firefighters on scene.

"I didn't want anyone in turn-out gear," said Straub of the protective gear usually worn during residential fires. "It would be unbearable."

Straub told the newspaper a rehabilitation site was also established near the fire scene for firefighters needing water or medical treatment.

Firefighters at the scene of the vehicle fire weren't so lucky. They had to wear their turnout gear to extinguish the fully-involved 1997 Chevrolet Blazer.

Although the fire was extinguished in a matter of minutes, the firefighters -- most wearing heavy, protective turnout pants and coats -- were exhausted.

"The biggest thing is that wearing bunker gear is like wearing a winter coat in the summer," Elysburg Fire Chief Dennis Kroh told the newspaper. "The body can't release the heat."

Kroh said water was provided by emergency medical technicians at the scene.

Staying Safe in the Heat

The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has several recommendations on protecting workers in hot environments.

According to OSHA, one of the primary things to keep workers safe in heat is to drink plenty of fluids, as much as a quart per hour.

Having people trained in recognizing, and helping to treat, heat stress disorders is also vital to keeping workers safe.

Other ways to reduce heat stress, according to OSHA, are moving to cooler places when possible, reducing work pace or work load and, when possible, removing or loosening some clothing.

The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) said the most critical factor in preventing heat related injuries in responders is proper hydration.

"Water must be replaced, both during the exercise period and at emergency scenes," according to IAFF. "Thirst should not be relied upon to stimulate drinking. Cool water and cups must be readily available at both exercise areas and emergency scenes and drinking encouraged."

Firefighters and emergency workers who suffer heat related injuries require continuous monitoring in the field, and if necessary, at the hospital, according to the IAFF.

"Recovery from heat exhaustion is usually rapid, but immediate return to duty is not advisable," the IAFF said.

As for the future, weather forecasters along the eastern seaboard are predicting cooler weather by the weekend with a cool front and a rain moving into much of the area.