Imagine battling this heat, while battling a blaze. Firefighters really have a hot job. But some firefighters are using a new innovation to help keep them cool.
On top of a heat index in the 100s, firefighters also have to wear insulated gear that really spikes their body temperatures. And Gatorade only goes so far.
But now, firefighters in James City County have a new weapon that helps cool them down. They're called "cool shirts," and here's how they work.
When firefighters are knocking down a fire and rotate out, they first shed their heavy, insulated gear.
Then, they strap on thin, blue vests that have tubes connecting them to a cooler filled with ice water. A pump inside the cooler then circulates the ice water into the shirts.
This immediately cools the firefighters down but doesn't get them wet.
Firefighters said it's easy to overheat in this steamy, dangerous weather, if they're fighting a fire or in a training exercise.
"It's like jumping into a cold shower from extreme heat because these training fire exercises, you've got temperatures way up near 1,000 degrees," said Capt. Gerald Leonard. "And you're coming out of that into this [heat], and it certainly helps to bring the body temperature down, so you're able to cope with the heat much better."
Firefighters said they also take other precautions on days like this. They use cooling fans on the scene and try to have another truck there to provide water and relief for the firefighters.
They also try to rotate in and out more often because in this weather, it doesn't take much for them to overheat.
