Tulsa Firefighters Use New Techniques to Battle Heat

Wrapped head-to-toe in flame-resistant clothing and trimmed with air tanks and other equipment, the typical firefighter carries about 60 pounds of gear to a fire.

In extreme heat, that can be deadly.

"The equipment that we use to make sure we don't get burned is heavy and insulated, so it also works against you," Tulsa Fire Department spokesman Stan May said.

Five Tulsa firefighters have been hospitalized for heat exhaustion this week, including four who were battling a house fire in 100-degree heat Tuesday.

About a dozen firefighters are hospitalized for heat-related illness in the average summer, and above-average temperatures this week have forced the department to begin taking seasonal precautions early, fire officials said.

"The one thing firefighters want to do is keep working, so we have to remind them" to be safe, said Michael Baker, director of the Fire Department's emergency medical services.

"We have to sort of be their conscience."

Heat exhaustion can set in suddenly when the strenuous work combines with afternoon heating, the heat of the fire and the weight and insulation of the gear, he said.

EMS personnel began putting rehab stations at emergency scenes this week, periodically checking firefighters as they work, Baker said.

That precaution is usually the decision of an on-scene commander, but department policy requires it in extreme heat, he said. Additional firefighters are called to compensate for lost time.

"The work goes on, no matter what temperature it is," Baker said. "Tulsans need to recognize that they've got a Fire Department that's ready to go for them in any conditions."

Supervisors warned firefighters Saturday that summer heat would strike early this year, with high temperatures forecast above 100 degrees most days this week. That's about 10 degrees above normal.

But firefighters are accustomed to working in the heat, Baker said. Precautions such as the rehab stations have been used for years, with new techniques being tried periodically, he said.

This is the first year firefighters at emergency scenes are being asked to dip their arms in tubs of water, which cools them off without forcing them to remove all of their gear.

The technique was tested last year and put into widespread use this month, Baker said.

Firefighters also are urged to come to work hydrated, drink water constantly and avoid caffeine, which has dehydrating effects.

"For firefighters this time of year, the important part is they take care of themselves," Baker said. "This is the prime reason why we exercise and try to be physically fit for when we put our bodies into intense heat, whether it's at a fire or a traffic accident on the highway."

The number of firefighters who are hospitalized each year for heat-related illness varies widely, said Baker, who estimated the average at 10 to 12.

But a fire that burned more than 150 acres and affected 25 homes in Turley on Aug. 2 sent eight to hospitals in one day.

Large grass fires and accompanying hot, dry conditions can have the greatest effect on firefighters' body temperatures, Baker said.

The firefighters who were treated for heat exhaustion this week were expected to return to duty immediately, May said.

One of them reported the symptoms about 11 p.m. Monday while fighting a fire that damaged the garage of a house in the 7800 block of South Irvington Avenue.

The National Weather Service reported a temperature of 87 degrees at the time.

The high that day exceeded 100 degrees, and the cumulative effect of working in such heat likely led to the symptoms, officials said.

The other firefighters were battling a blaze Tuesday evening that destroyed a house in the 3400 block of East 64th Street.

Doctors at Oklahoma State University Medical Center rehydrated them and monitored their condition, which is a typical treatment, May said.

Depending on the severity of a firefighter's heat-related illness, medics at the scene can prescribe a short break, time at home or hospital treatment, he said.

But the goal is preventing heat exhaustion altogether, Baker said.

"We want to be ready," he said.

Copyright 2012 - Tulsa World, Okla.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service