Firefighters Battle Heat
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Two Grand Chute firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion while battling a blaze. Video by nbc26.com
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Firefighters are having a hard time battling the rising temperatures. Two Grand Chute firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion while fighting a blaze at a restaurant Thursday night.
"It's one of those things we try to prevent, but sometimes the situations are that we can't prevent them as far as the combination of such high outside temperatures,” Chief Timothy Bantes said. “It's a difficult thing to deal with."
Both firefighters are OK, but others are worried about getting sick from the heat. Between the high index over 100 and the heavy gear they wear that traps heat, things could get dangerous.
"When you're inside the gear it's almost like a sauna. It's humid and hot inside of the coat. It just kind of sticks to you,” Grand Chute firefighter Robert Chipper said.
Misting fans and canopies are now being set-up on scenes to keep firefighters cool.
“The personal protective equipment we wear is to protect us from the heat, but on the same level, it can also trap heat inside. So it can be a bad combination, but when you come outside from a fire, you want to try to decimate that heat as quickly as you can,” Bantes said.
Firefighters are also drinking plenty of water before, in-between and during calls.
"You hope nothing happens to you. That's why you want to go home at the end of the day,” Chipper said.
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