CHARLOTTE, N.C. --
When the temperature climbs, Charlotte's first responders are first to feel the heat.
On Thursday, it was in the mid-90s in the Queen City.
Officials with MEDIC, the Mecklenburg EMS Agency, said when the temperature on the thermometer goes up, its call volume increases as well.
"We run into a lot of heat-related calls, where people are out in the sun and they haven't given themselves a break," said Regina Davis of MEDIC.
Davis said the high temperatures are especially hard on children and the elderly.
"Sometimes older people do have a more difficult time because their skin is thinner and the regulation of their body temperature is difficult," she said.
But the heat is also hard on first responders. Firefighters took an Eyewitness News crew along Thursday to show the challenges firsthand.
Capt. Jim Hartsell said it's difficult to keep the firefighters from falling ill while out on calls.
"When we go to calls, it's hot with our gear on and everything, so we can't work quite as long," he said.
But the fire department has plans in place to make sure firefighters are safe while they're on the job.
"If we have a house fire, we call additional resources in so we don't have to work as long and we can take more breaks to drink more water," he said.
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