High heat is putting Minneapolis firefighters on high alert

MINNEAPOLIS – Not only are firefighters keeping our communities safe, but they also gotta keep themselves safe, too.

Crews across Minneapolis are doing everything they can to beat the heat so they’re ready to respond to fires. But that’s not all they’re ready for.

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“We get a lot more unconscious calls that are usually someone that hasn’t been staying hydrated…or are hydrating on the wrong sorts of liquid,” said firefighter Andrew Blegen.

WCCO was at First Station No. 1 in downtown when one of those calls came in. We rode with Deputy Chief Staffan Swanson as his crews responded.

“The report is that there’s just one laying on the sidewalk with a tilted head and an open mouth,” Swanson said.  

Thankfully, the call was a false alarm.

“That individual was able to get up and walk away on his own accord,” he said. “A lot of times, what happens is people driving home from work will see someone laying on the sidewalk or in the park and they’ll call 911 – which is good because if it’s someone that’s really in need of help, then we’re there.”

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No matter how hot it gets though, these crews say they can handle the heat. It’s winter they’re not a fan of.

“Thirty degrees outside, that house fire is still gonna be a thousand degrees inside, so we’re used to the heat and it’s easier to work in compared to the cold where we get hose lines that start freezing up, our gear can start to freeze up if we’re covered in water,” Blegen said.

Fire crews recommend everyone follow the same steps they do: Hydrate, stay in the shade when possible, and check in on your friends to make sure they’re OK.