DC Fire and EMS brave the summer heat wave

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — With soaring temperatures come tough conditions for D.C.’s brave men and women who are no strangers to the heat. On Monday, DC Fire and EMS crews were gearing up for an especially warm week in the District.

“If you can imagine a winter coat, sweatpants, boots, gloves and then a backpack full of lead on your back, and then you have to go into a building on fire,” said DC Fire and EMS Acting Assistant Chief of Operations Daniel McCoy of wearing 80 pounds of firefighting gear in high temperatures.

The already strenuous job is made even harder in the heat.

“Your core temperature is already starting to go up so you have less time to operate inside the building,” said McCoy.

He says it’s an all-hands effort to keep their crews safe in the summer.

“We’ll rotate crews faster and earlier than we would if it were cooler outside, to make sure our firefighters don’t overheat,” said McCoy.

He says it’s also more common for the department to call for an additional alarm, or more trucks and personnel, to help fight fires in the summer.

Engine 5 in Georgetown is one of the department’s “rehab units,” dedicated to keeping crews comfortable and safe on scene.

“They set up a cooling station. They can help to monitor vital signs on site. Crews can have a snack and some water. The goal is to have the members to be ready as quickly as possible so that they’re able to provide additional service on the scene,” said McCoy.

He said D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) also helps to coordinate cooling buses to provide respite for crews during long, strenuous firefighting efforts in the summer.

DC Fire and EMS also has additional ambulances staffed around the city this week ready to respond to increased calls for heat-related illness.